[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 4, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E9]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


         FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT AMENDMENTS OF 1985

                                 ______


                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 4, 1995
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Fishery 
Conservation and Management Amendments of 1995. In the last Congress 
the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee held 11 hearings in 5 
different States and received testimony from over 100 witnesses. These 
witnesses represented all segments of the fisheries industries and 
other interested parties including fishermen, processors, 
environmentalists, State government officials, and administrative 
agencies. Near the end of the 103d Congress the Fisheries Management 
Subcommittee reported a bill which unfortunately was not considered by 
the full Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee.
  Today, I am introducing legislation to re-authorize and amend the 
Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act. The bill contains 
nearly identical language to the bill reported by the subcommittee last 
year. The major differences involve the removal of certain 
controversial provisions, inclusion of stronger language addressing the 
bycatch issue and the unique needs of certain rural Alaskan fishermen, 
as well as some changes that would have been made had the bill been 
addressed by the full committee last year.
  This legislation addresses all of the major concerns discussed during 
our series of hearings in the last Congress. While some may not totally 
agree with the way we address some of these concerns, I think this 
legislation takes a major step in continuing the management of our 
Nation's fisheries while also addressing some of the problems we have 
encountered in specific areas of fisheries management.
  Mr. Speaker, there are two areas of concern that I feel must be 
addressed by this re-authorization legislation. We must allow the 
Regional Fishery Management Councils to address the issue of bycatch. 
The councils are in a unique position to create specific bycatch 
reduction measures, tailored for each fishery that they manage. I have 
also always believed that community development quotas [CDQs] are a 
legitimate tool of the councils for use in managing our fisheries 
resources. I have always believed that CDQ's did not have to be 
specifically authorized for the councils to include them in their first 
fisheries management plans and the courts have now finally agreed with 
me on this point. Community development quotas are just one of many 
tools which can be used by the councils to address the needs of fishery 
dependent communities. We will continue to look at this issue as we 
move those legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my intention to move quickly with the bill, so 
that we can get on with the sound management of our Nation's fisheries 
resources. Our fishermen and processors deserve no less.


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