0:56
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."
“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
- Source
- House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries (Begich): Legislative Hearing
- Community
- Alaska News
- Location
- Alaska
- Captured at
- June 3, 2026
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.
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