Stephen Taufen Comment

Public Comment for the Record To: U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy th1120 – 20 Street, NW Suite 200 North Washington, D.C. 20036 Fax (202) 418-3475 E-mail: mail@oceancommission.gov PUBLIC COMMENT: ABUSIVE TRANSFER PRICING IN TRANSNATIONAL SEAFOOD TRADE – AN ISSUE OF ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY 1. Introductory Summary on Abusive Transfer Pricing: Mandate & Needs 2. Statement to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy by Stephen Taufen, founder, Groundswell Fisheries Movement; Seattle Meeting, 14 June 2002 3. Transfer Pricing Affects Fish Catch and Sales Prices – Sept. 1995 4. The WTO & Fisheries: An Issue of ‘Accountability & Transparency’ – Nov. 1999 A Case of Global Production and Transfer Pricing Strategies versus Citizen-Taxpayer Rights. From: Stephen R. Taufen, Founder Groundswell Fisheries Movement P.O. Box 19257 Seattle, Washington 98109-1257 Tel. No.: restricted (whistle-blower) E-mail: staufen@seanet.com 1. Introductory Summary of Public Testimony ISSUE: Abusive Transfer Pricing (ATP) – the cross-border product laundering of U.S. seafood products among affiliates of global fishing companies, using illicit bookkeeping methods in processing and the conduct of trade – negatively affects the export valuation of national resources and regional economies. In Alaska, ATP has created ‘an alternative essence of management’ from that promised in the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act of 1976 (MFCMA). ATP is the ...