[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 183 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 183

    Expressing the sense of the Senate that the action taken by the 
   Government of France against United States seafood products is a 
   totally unwarranted action that is having severe repercussions on 
  United States seafood producers and, in general, the United States 
                           fishing industry.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            February 28 (legislative day, February 22), 1994

    Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Pell, Mr. 
   Mitchell, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Murkowski, and Mr. Chafee) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

              March 8 (legislative day, February 22), 1994

             Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the sense of the Senate that the action taken by the 
   Government of France against United States seafood products is a 
   totally unwarranted action that is having severe repercussions on 
  United States seafood producers and, in general, the United States 
                           fishing industry.

Whereas the United States sells over $100 million of fresh and frozen seafood 
        products to France annually;
Whereas the actions of the Government of France are adversely affecting the 
        United States fishing industry;
Whereas this adverse effect is particularly severe on those parts of the 
        industry that harvest, process, and market fresh ``underutilized 
        species'' such as dogfish, monkfish and skate, and causes disruptions to 
        the normal flow of commerce for developed United States fisheries such 
        as salmon and groundfish;
Whereas the French markets for these species and other species are important 
        since Europeans, particularly the French, value fresh seafood products 
        highly;
Whereas the Government of France is continuing to require inspections and 
        testing, despite accepting the existing United States seafood 
        certification programs of the National Marine Fisheries Service and the 
        Food and Drug Administration;
Whereas the Government of France's additional inspections and testing are 
        continuing without adequate justification or evidence of human health 
        risks;
Whereas the unsubstantiated additional inspections and testing required by the 
        Government of France, which can take up to four days, delay the delivery 
        of fresh seafood products to the point where they begin to spoil and 
        thus have effectively closed the French market to fresh United States 
        seafood products; and
Whereas the harassment by the Government of France of seafood producers and 
        products from the United States violates international agreements and 
        raises serious questions about the usefulness of entering into 
        agreements with the European Union and France: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (a) calls upon the Government of France to stop immediately 
        its harassment of United States seafood producers and products;
            (b) demand that the Government of France compensate United 
        States companies that have had seafood products damaged by its 
        actions; and
            (c) calls upon the President of the United States to 
        identify appropriate forms of sanctions that can be taken 
        against the Government of France for its egregious violation of 
        international agreements.

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