[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 169 Engrossed in House (EH)]

103d CONGRESS

  1st Session

                            H. CON. RES. 169

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To express the sense of the Congress that the United States should seek 
   compliance by all countries with the conservation and management 
 recommendations and agreements adopted for Atlantic bluefin tuna and 
other highly migratory species by the International Commission for the 
        Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, and for other purposes.






103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 169

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas Atlantic bluefin tuna are a valuable commercial and recreational fishery 
        of the United States;
Whereas many countries, including the United States, fish for Atlantic bluefin 
        tuna and other highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean and the 
        Mediterranean Sea;
Whereas the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
        (hereinafter referred to as the ``Commission''), is the international 
        entity established to adopt recommendations and develop international 
        agreements for the conservation and management of Atlantic bluefin tuna 
        and other highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean and the 
        Mediterranean Sea;
Whereas in the last 25 years Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks have declined from 
        historic levels;
Whereas, for management purposes, the Commission has adopted a working 
        hypothesis of 2 stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna: a western stock found 
        in the Atlantic Ocean west of 45 degrees west longitude (hereinafter 
        referred to as the ``45 degree line''), and an eastern stock found in 
        the Atlantic Ocean east of the 45 degree line and in the Mediterranean 
        Sea;
Whereas the existing scientific evidence is inconclusive with respect to the 
        working hypothesis of 2 stocks, the extent to which each of the 
        hypothesized stocks migrates across the 45 degree line is unknown, and 
        the 45 degree line is considered to be arbitrary;
Whereas the Commission adopted conservation and management recommendations in 
        1974 to ensure the recovery and sustainability of all Atlantic bluefin 
        tuna throughout the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea;
Whereas, in recent years, the Commission has adopted additional, more 
        restrictive conservation and management recommendations for Atlantic 
        bluefin tuna, for countries that fish for Atlantic bluefin tuna west of 
        the 45 degree line;
Whereas the United States and other countries that are members of the Commission 
        and that fish west of the 45 degree line have implemented all 
        conservation and management recommendations for Atlantic bluefin tuna 
        adopted by the Commission that apply west of the 45 degree line;
Whereas many other countries that are members of the Commission do not comply 
        with conservation and management recommendations for Atlantic bluefin 
        tuna adopted by the Commission that apply east of the 45 degree line and 
        in the Mediterranean Sea;
Whereas this continuing failure to comply east of the 45 degree line and in the 
        Mediterranean Sea by countries that are members of the Commission will 
        undermine the recovery of Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks;
Whereas recent large increases in the catch of Atlantic bluefin tuna within 100 
        miles east of the 45 degree line by countries that are members of the 
        Commission could be having a negative impact on the recovery of Atlantic 
        bluefin tuna and probably do not comply with recommendations of the 
        Commission; and
Whereas countries that are not members of the Commission are having a negative 
        impact on the recovery of Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks by fishing 
        throughout the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea without regard 
        for conservation and management recommendations adopted by the 
        Commission: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the United States and the International Commission for 
        the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (hereinafter referred to as 
        the ``Commission'') should continue to promote the conservation 
        and management of highly migratory species, including Atlantic 
        bluefin tuna, throughout the Atlantic Ocean and the 
        Mediterranean Sea;
            (2) the United States should obtain commitments through the 
        Commission, from all countries that are signatories to the 
        International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
        and that are not in compliance with all of the conservation and 
        management recommendations and agreements for Atlantic bluefin 
        tuna and other highly migratory species that have been adopted 
        by the Commission, that those countries will immediately comply 
        with those recommendations and agreements;
            (3) the United States should continue to encourage all 
        other countries that fish for Atlantic bluefin tuna or other 
        highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean or the 
        Mediterranean Sea to comply with the conservation and 
        management recommendations and agreements adopted for those 
        species by the Commission;
            (4) if a country fishes in the Atlantic Ocean or the 
        Mediterranean Sea for Atlantic bluefin tuna or another highly 
        migratory species without complying with the conservation and 
        management recommendations and agreements adopted by the 
        Commission for that species, such fishing will be considered by 
        the Congress to diminish the effectiveness of an international 
        fishery conservation program, and as such will be considered by 
        the Congress to be certifiable under section 8(a)(1) of the 
        Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967 (22 U.S.C. 1978(a)(1));
            (5) the United States should encourage countries that have 
        significant markets for Atlantic bluefin tuna to prohibit the 
        importation of that species from other countries that fish for 
        that species without regard for the conservation and management 
        recommendations and agreements adopted by the Commission;
            (6) the United States should continue to explore, through 
        the Commission, the appropriateness of working hypotheses of 
        the Commission that stocks of highly migratory species in the 
        Atlantic Ocean can be delineated by lines of latitude or 
        longitude, including specifically that there are 2 stocks of 
        Atlantic bluefin tuna delineated by the line 45 degrees west 
        longitude; and
            (7) the United States should seek, through the Commission, 
        an agreement to ensure that if the Commission uses any line to 
        divide the stock of Atlantic bluefin tuna for management 
        purposes and adopts for that stock any conservation and 
        management recommendation or agreement for one side of the line 
        that is more restrictive than the conservation and management 
        recommendations and agreements adopted by the Commission for 
        that stock for the other side of the line, then any fishing for 
        Atlantic bluefin tuna within 10 degrees of the line shall be 
        conducted in compliance with that more restrictive 
        recommendation or agreement.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 2, 1993.

            Attest:






                                                                 Clerk.