CSSJR 33(RES): Supporting reduction of fishing capacity in the Bering Sea fishing fleet and Americanization of the fishing fleet through passage of S. 1221, the "American Fisheries Act," by the United States Congress.
00CS FOR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 33(RES) 01 Supporting reduction of fishing capacity in the Bering Sea fishing fleet and 02 Americanization of the fishing fleet through passage of S. 1221, the "American 03 Fisheries Act," by the United States Congress. 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 WHEREAS overcapitalization of fish harvesting capacity in the Bering Sea has 06 resulted in highly compressed, derby-style fisheries; and 07 WHEREAS overcapitalized fisheries typically lead to excessive exploitation of a 08 fishery resource, often resulting in a precipitous decrease in the economic yield of the fishery 09 resource; and 10 WHEREAS the State of Alaska values sustainable fishery management principles, 11 which include minimizing bycatch and waste, maximizing utilization of the fishery resources 12 harvested, minimizing adverse effects of fishing gear on fish habitat, and maximizing 13 economic returns on the public fishery resource for the benefit of Alaska communities and the 14 citizens of the United States on the whole; and
01 WHEREAS Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska has, with the cosponsorship of Senators 02 Murkowski, Breaux, and Hollings, introduced S. 1221, the "American Fisheries Act"; and 03 WHEREAS S. 1221 would effectively limit fishing capacity in the Bering Sea fishing 04 fleet through vessel size limitations and ownership requirements; and 05 WHEREAS S. 1221 would limit the maximum length, tonnage, and shaft horsepower 06 of vessels engaging in domestic fisheries in the United States navigable waters and exclusive 07 economic zone; and 08 WHEREAS S. 1221 would require that at least 75 percent of the controlling interest 09 of a vessel engaged in the fisheries in the United States navigable waters and exclusive 10 economic zone be owned by citizens of the United States; and 11 WHEREAS S. 1221 would correct a loophole in the Commercial Fishing Industry 12 Vessel Anti-Reflagging Act of 1987 that allowed vessels that were rebuilt in foreign shipyards 13 to enter the fisheries off Alaska; and 14 WHEREAS S. 1221 would permanently prohibit federal loan guarantees for any vessel 15 intended for use as a fishing vessel that does not meet size, tonnage, horsepower, and 16 domestic ownership criteria; and 17 WHEREAS S. 1221 would effectively promote further Americanization of the fisheries 18 of the United States; 19 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports those provisions of S. 20 1221, the "American Fisheries Act," that would reduce the fishing capacity of the Bering Sea 21 fishing fleet and promote the Americanization of the fisheries of the United States; and be it 22 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the 23 Congress to pass S. 1221. 24 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Al Gore, Jr., Vice-President 25 of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Strom Thurmond, 26 President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the U.S. 27 House of Representatives; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank 28 Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of 29 the Alaska delegation in Congress.