I think we`ve seen some of the foreign aggression come out of Russia and China which is very concerning to me as an American, and it makes me realize that no other Americans are my enemies. It doesn`t matter what party you`re from if…

We are heartened by the forward-thinking solutions presented in the Sustaining America's Fisheries for the Future Act.

I believe that adding two tribal seats will allow Alaska Native people, who have the longest dependence on these resources, a say in management.

We are only trying to feed our own families. We are down to 20 percent of what we historically harvested.

Just because reducing bycatch for the industry has a cost or may reduce harvest, I don't believe we can use that as an excuse any longer.

I really feel that our communities that rely on salmon have been going through the seven stages of grief.

We need--we always need--and a marked recapture study had been funded using disaster funds that is now closed.

Thank you, Senator Sullivan. My name is Mary Peltola. I'm the Executive Director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.

I urge Congress to support and create additional legislative, administrative and funding opportunities for our tribes to fully co-manage our important resources on an equal footing with our Federal and state partners.

The only effective way to co-manage our resources is by fully integrating our traditional knowledge into co-management.

I would also ask you to seriously consider moving the Federal subsistence program out of its current location.

It is with this Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.

My belief is we should not be called to join the table and become managers only in times of crisis when things are bad.

I echo and applaud Mary Sattler Peltola's testimony and recommendation to remove the Office of Subsistence Management (OSM) from under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Despite agreements with the U.S. Department of the Interior for a tribal role in management of traditional subsistence fisheries, the burdensome Federal administrative structure and misplaced policy priorities of Fish and Wildlife have…

I also support Mary Sattler Peltola's recommendation to restructure the FSB.

Tribal self-determination is minimized in this most vital aspect of tribal health and well being.

the current Federal subsistence management structure impedes Tribal capacity to be effective co-managers.