Acknowledgements: The assistance of the following people is gratefully acknowledged. They contributed to the accuracy of the data through factual knowledge and informed estimates. Such assistance is not to be construed as a taking of position for or against the specific Joint Venture examined. Warren "Bud" Aakervick, Ballard Oil Company, Fuel dealer. Gene Brandt, N. C. Marine, Inc. Caterpillar Seattle, Washington Seattle, Washington Bernard Hansen, Owner/Operator M/V "Pat-San-Marie", and owner in one other trawler. Seattle, Washington Jeff Hendricks, Owner/Operator M/V "Alyeska", and one other under construction. Anacortes, Washington Gunnar Ildhuso, Owner/Operator, M/V "Mar-Gun", and owner in one other vessel. Seattle, Washington North Pacific fishing vessels. Seattle, Washington Ben Jensen, Navel Architect, Designer of numerous Wilhelm Jensen, Owner/Operator, M/V "Anna Marie", Seattle, Washington John Kelly, Marco, Inc. Fishing vessel builders. Seattle, Washington Bert Larkins, Fisheries statistics, Northwest and Seattle, Washington Ed Naughton, Former fisheries association manager. Kaare Ness, Owner/Operator,M/V "Pacific Viking", Owner in five other fishing vessels and processors. William Osborne, Owner/Operator; M/V "Intrepid", Owner in two other fishing vessels. Carl Perovich, Owner/Operator M/V "Viking" Kodiak, Alaska Seattle, Washington Seattle, Washington Friday Hbr., Washington Darryl Petersen, Vice President, Vita Food Products, Inc. Fish and Crab processing. Seattle, Washington Seattle, Washington Rudy Petersen, Owner/Operator, M/V "Royal Pacific", Kris Poulsen, Owner/Operator, M/V "Bering Sea", Seattle, Washington Other sources of information were from firms furnishing goods and services in support of the fishing industry, such as provisions and fishing gear. Operating experience in the area of concern was supported by pertinent fishing vessel logs. Sig Jaeger, Manager North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners Assn. Seattle, Washington 98119 STATEMENT OF MICHAEL E. LUFT Thank you, Mr. Chairman for allowing me this opportunity to testify. My name is Michael E. Luft. I am a commercial troller from Westport, Wa. For 4 years I served as the troll advisor from the state of Washington to PFMC. I am a former member of the governor's advisory committee on fisheries. I have been involved in the politics of fishing for several years, and I was the NWTA representative on the joint house-senate ad-hoc limited entry committee until health forced me to quit. I developed high blood pressure. I would have liked to testify in person, but due to my extremely high blood pressure, I can't. I wish to state that I feel the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) with the Secretary of Commerce have not followed the guide lines of the 200-mile bill with an arrogant disreguard. They totally refuse to accept any data that doesn't reflect their point of view. As in moving the Tillamook Head Boundary down to Cape Falcon for the June 15-July 1 “conservation" closure. The stated reason for the move, which is on the record, is the inability of the Washington State Director of Fisheries Sandison to enforce the 28 inch chinook size limit rather than due to scientific data. Also during this "conservation" closure the Columbia River and Westport Charter fleets are allowed to operate in the closed area. These being also commercial operations, I feel that this is discrimination of the first order. The council openly states that they are setting up allocation in their plan for 1978, and they also seem to be implementing certain infamous federal court Indian decisions. This I believe is beyond the intent of the 200-mile bill. The PFMC refuses to recognize that enhancement is the answer not division of a declining resource under the present management. The member states, such as Washington, in their management of the stocks, raise stocks of salmon that return during the closed periods of the ocean fishery while ignoring stocks that would arrive mature during the open ocean fishery periods. With this genetic manipulation of stocks and poor management of stocks, egg sales to bait and caviar manufactures and aquaculture projects both at home and abroad-instead of incubating eggs for much needed enhancementand arbitrary closures with little or no recourse, my business of fishing is being placed on a very shaky foundation. I would like to see more user group representation on the council to give us more control over our own destiny and less of the same old fisheries bureaucrats both state and fed that with their poor track records and backgrounds of bungling that seem to always end up in a majority of the positions on such councils and their advisory committees. Also I would like to see the regional council made to be responsible for their actions. We also need the State Department to stop making lopsided agreements on fisheries with foreign nations such as the proposal that Canadian salmon trollers be allowed another third of the Washington coast to 3 miles. (The present agreement is to Carroll Island and the proposal would move it to approximately Pt. Grenville.) With no additional area to the north on the Canadian coast being opened to U.S. trollers. This would put extreme pressure on the stocks that the PFMC claims are in short supply. What is my future and the others dependent on me in the economic chain? With the proposed limited entry it will be very difficult for a fisherman to better himself. Any limited entry has to be on the man and his income dependence on fishing. I believe in the 200-mile bill, but now believe that it is being used to eliminate my fishery, and there is much evidence to substantiate this. Where do I go? Who will hire a 41-year-old fisherman with extremely high blood pressure fanned by all of the political mismanagement of my fishery. I think I have a right to a future, and this I place in your hands. Thank you. It has become increasingly difficult for the financial industry to finmce I do believe that the moratorium on liemees is very good and some type of 2134 Wyoming Street Don Bonker Third Congressional District State of Washington Dear Mr. Bonker, I am a am a commercial fisherman in the troll industry. I live in Bremerton, Washington and fish out of the port of Westport, Wa. As you already khow, our industry is in grave jepardy. My livelyhood along with other segments of our industry, are being restricted beyond belief. Why doesn't the salmon troller at least have a vote on the Council? Industry should make up 50% of the council. I believe the Council members should be from the troll group and supporting people because the Council members seen to ignore main points that effect the troll industry. An industry as large as the troll segment should have some say in how it is curtailed. Yet, there is not one troll representative on the Council. The involved troll fisherman knows the problems he is confronted with having restriction after restriction forced upon him. Our opinions are never allowed to come to a voting level. Just ignored! Also, I think the power and timber companys should be curtailed more and not the troller. Those companys contribute more to pollution and loss of fish than the troller ever could. The dams and log jams in the rivers All more fish than the troll and sports industry put together. I think it is about time some thing is done to save a state industry and save the many businesses and support people that will be effected by the loss of the fishing industry such as the troll group and thats what the present rules and regulations are forceing. |