
William Gibbons-Fly
113:53 - 114:49
“In just the past few years, the US tuna purse seine fleet has been reduced from 34 vessels to just 15 vessels operating today. The remaining vessels supply most of the tuna being processed in American Samoa and otherwise support the local economy there.”
- Speaker
- William Gibbons-Fly
- Timestamp
- 113:53 – 114:49
- Transcript
- House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries (Begich): Legislative Hearing
- Community
- Alaska News
- Location
- Alaska
- Captured at
From the transcript
In these cases, the Antiquities act has been used to circumvent and override the rigorous process established under Magnuson Stevens, with little thought to the economic consequences to an important sector of the U.S. economy, the economies of our U.S. territories, domestic and regional food security, and yes, even U.S. national security. This is important, Madam Chairman, because our industry is struggling to survive and with it, so is the tuna dependent economy of American Samoa. In just the past few years, the US tuna purse seine fleet has been reduced from 34 vessels to just 15 vessels operating today. The remaining vessels supply most of the tuna being processed in American Samoa and otherwise support the local economy there. Madam Chair, my written testimony highlights several important issues that it is simply not possible to address.
Related Coverage
Alaska fishery disaster funds stalled at OMB despite congressional approval
Congress approved $300 million in fishery disaster relief for Alaska in December 2024, but the Office of Management and Budget has not released the funds to fishing families waiting for relief.

Begich bill to expand commerce in Alaska sea otter handicrafts gets first congressional hearing
A new bill in Congress that asks, what otter we do?

A House bill on NOAA workplace safety is built on data from Alaska — where a third of fisheries observers report harassment or assault
A House bill to strengthen sexual harassment protections at NOAA is built on data from Alaska's North Pacific Observer Program, where nearly one third of the roughly 400 annual observers report harassment or assault.
