Dear Senator Murray:

On behalf of the Deep Sea Fishermen's Union of the Pacific, I would like to request your leadership in addressing an issue of the utmost importance to the fisheries off the coasts of Alaska, Washington and Oregon. Our concern is for the budget of the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). We were informed that the State Department is seeking to reprogram $600,000 of their $2.1 million congressionally approved budget.

As you know, the IPHC is located in Seattle on the University of Washington campus. The Commission has been successful both scientifically and as a management body since 1924. It appears, to our members, that the IPHC is being unfairly and inequitably targeted to make up budget shortfalls for other organizations. It appears to us that the State Department is targeting West Coast commercial fisheries and specifically, Washington based commissions. The Internal Salmon Commission was not funded last year and the different international commissions were assessed a portion of their funding to make up the difference. IPHC was assessed the largest percentage of this realignment of funds. This year the State Department again wants to assess the IPHC to fund a variety of commissions.

As a representative of almost 300 skippers and crew, most, working out of Washington State ports, the proposed action to reprogram $600,000 from the IPHC budget is not acceptable, nor is it fair to Washington scientific and commercial interest. The IPHC's success supports a $170,000,000 halibut fishery. The Great Lakes Commissions, which is to get some of the reprogrammed money, gets $12 million in funding. Why do their Senators feel it is necessary to obtain additional funds from IPHC's $2.1 million?

The Union would very much appreciate your calling the State Department and objecting to their proposed reprogramming. It appears to us that Washington's International Commissions are being targeted to make up funding shortfalls and we are requesting help from our two senators. It appears other State's Senators are intervening to protect their respective commissions at the expense of Washington's.

Thank you for your consideration of a matter that vitally affects working men and women in our state's fisheries.

Yours in Solidarity,

David J. Soma
Executive Director
Deep Sea Fishermen's Union of the Pacific