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

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

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 20, 1993

Mr. Studds (for himself, Mr. Manton, Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. Pallone, 
     Mr. Saxton, and Ms. Snowe) submitted the following concurrent 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Merchant Marine and 
                               Fisheries

_______________________________________________________________________

                         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 for Atlantic bluefin tuna adopted by the International 
   Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, and for other 
                               purposes.

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 45 degree line delineation is considered to be arbitrary, and the 
        extent to which each of the hypothesized stocks migrates across the 45 
        degree line is unknown;
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 are 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 Atlantic bluefin tuna throughout the Atlantic 
        Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea;
            (2) the United States should obtain commitments through the 
        International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic 
        Tunas, 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 that have been adopted by the Commission, that those 
        countries will immediately comply with those recommendations 
        and agreements;
            (3) if such a commitment is not obtained from a country, or 
        if a country continues to not comply with those recommendations 
        and agreements of the Commission, fishing by that country for 
        Atlantic bluefin tuna 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));
            (4) the United States should continue to explore, through 
        the Commission, the appropriateness of the working hypothesis 
        of the Commission that there are 2 stocks of Atlantic bluefin 
        tuna delineated by the line 45 degrees west longitude;
            (5) 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 conservation and management 
        recommendations for one side of the line that are more 
        restrictive than the conservation and management 
        recommendations adopted by the Commission 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 those 
        more restrictive recommendations;
            (6) the United States should continue to encourage all 
        countries that fish for Atlantic bluefin tuna or other highly 
        migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean 
        Sea to become participants in the International Convention for 
        the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and the Commission; and
            (7) if such participation by a country is not secured, the 
        continued fishing by the country without regard for the 
        conservation and management recommendations for Atlantic 
        bluefin tuna that are adopted by the Commission 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)).

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