[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 295 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 295

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 22, 1994

  Mr. Studds (for himself, Mr. Manton, Mr. Andrews of Maine, and Mr. 
 Young of Alaska) 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 of the United States that the 
United States should actively seek compliance by all countries with the 
conservation and management measures for Atlantic bluefin tuna adopted 
by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.

Whereas Atlantic bluefin tuna are a valuable commercial and recreational fishery 
        of the United States;
Whereas many other countries also harvest Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Atlantic 
        Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea;
Whereas the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
        (hereinafter referred to as the Commission), was established in 1969 to 
        develop conservation and management recommendations for Atlantic bluefin 
        tuna and other highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean and the 
        Mediterranean Sea;
Whereas the Commission adopted conservation and management recommendations in 
        1974 to ensure the recovery and sustainability of Atlantic bluefin tuna 
        throughout the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea;
Whereas in 1981, the Commission adopted a management strategy for Atlantic 
        bluefin tuna predicated on a hypothesis that two stocks of the fish 
        existed: a western stock found in the Atlantic 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 since 1981, the Commission has adopted additional, more restrictive 
        conservation and management recommendations for Atlantic bluefin tuna 
        for countries that harvest bluefin tuna west of the 45 degree line, 
        including a 25 percent quota reduction since 1991 with an additional 40 
        percent quota reduction scheduled for 1995;
Whereas the United States and other Commission members that harvest bluefin tuna 
        west of the 45 degree line have implemented all conservation and 
        management recommendations adopted by the Commission for Atlantic 
        bluefin tuna west of the 45 degree line;
Whereas many other Commission members do not comply with the conservation and 
        management recommendations adopted by the Commission for Atlantic 
        bluefin tuna east of the 45 degree line;
Whereas a recent National Academy of Sciences (NAS) review of the scientific 
        data used by the Commission concluded that the available data supports a 
        one stock management strategy for bluefin tuna in the North Atlantic;
Whereas the NAS review also found that abundance of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the 
        western Atlantic has remained stable since 1988, in contrast to the 
        roughly 50 percent decline in abundance reported by the Commission;
Whereas the continued unrestricted harvesting of Atlantic bluefin tuna east of 
        the 45 degree line and in the Mediterranean Sea will undermine the 
        Commission's recommendations being implemented west of the line to 
        rebuild Atlantic bluefin tuna; and
Whereas, in order to successfully rebuild the Atlantic bluefin tuna stock, 
        conservation and management recommendations must be adopted and 
        implemented throughout the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea: 
        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 Mediterranean Sea and develop a program to rebuild 
        Atlantic bluefin tuna that requires the participation of all 
        nations that harvest this species;
            (2) the United States should ensure that the scientific 
        findings and recommendations of the National Academy of 
        Sciences Atlantic bluefin tuna review panel are made available 
        to and included in the considerations of the Commission's 
        scientific advisory panel;
            (3) the United States should oppose any further quota 
        reductions for nations harvesting Atlantic bluefin tuna west of 
        the 45 degree line until the impacts of recent conservation 
        measures can be determined, and until all nations harvesting 
        Atlantic bluefin tuna west and east of the 45 degree line share 
        equally in conservation and rebuilding efforts for the Atlantic 
        bluefin tuna resources;
            (4) the continued harvesting by fishermen from any country 
        which is a member of the Commission and which does not comply 
        with the conservation and management recommendations of 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 subject 
        to the embargo provision in section 6 of the Atlantic Tunas 
        Convention Act;
            (5) the United States should encourage other nations with 
        significant markets for Atlantic bluefin tuna to prohibit the 
        importation of that species from harvesting nations which do 
        not comply with the conservation and management recommendations 
        adopted by the Commission; and
            (6) the United States should encourage the Commission to 
        adopt recommendations authorizing the use of discretionary 
        trade actions as enforcement measures when the actions of a 
        nation are undermining the effectiveness of conservation and 
        management recommendations of the Commission.

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