[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 344 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 344

To express the sense of the Congress regarding North Atlantic swordfish 
              and other highly migratory species of fish.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 8, 1998

 Mr. Pallone submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
To express the sense of the Congress regarding North Atlantic swordfish 
              and other highly migratory species of fish.

Whereas North Atlantic swordfish were caught on a sustainable basis for nearly 
        150 years using harpoons and rod and reel gear;
Whereas North Atlantic swordfish populations have fallen nearly 70 percent 
        following the introduction of longline fishing gear in 1963;
Whereas North Atlantic swordfish populations are at only 58 percent of levels 
        needed to achieve the maximum sustainable yield--the management goal 
        level mandated by both the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
        Management Act and the International Commission for the Conservation of 
        Atlantic Tunas;
Whereas domestic management measures of the United States and international 
        management measures of the International Commission for the Conservation 
        of Atlantic Tunas have failed to manage North Atlantic swordfish 
        populations on a sustainable basis;
Whereas the bycatch from commercial longline and driftnet gear in the North 
        Atlantic swordfish fishery constitutes a grave threat to the biological 
        health of swordfish and other highly migratory species;
Whereas the average size of a commercially caught North Atlantic swordfish has 
        fallen from 266 pounds in 1963 to just 90 pounds in 1996;
Whereas nearly 2 of 3 North Atlantic swordfish now caught in the United States 
        commercial swordfish fishery are juveniles caught before they are 
        capable of spawning;
Whereas longline fishing gear captures 98 percent of the swordfish taken in the 
        North Atlantic United States swordfish fishery; and
Whereas the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
        scientific body has recommended that overall fishing mortality be 
        significantly reduced to rebuild depleted populations of North Atlantic 
        swordfish and other highly migratory species: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the National Marine Fisheries Service should implement 
        such management measures as will restore populations of North 
        Atlantic swordfish to levels mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens 
        Fishery Conservation and Management Act within 7 years;
            (2) to rebuild depleted North Atlantic swordfish 
        populations within 7 years, appropriate Federal agencies should 
        take action to establish a bycatch reduction framework, 
        including a timeframe and reference points, to reduce the 
        bycatch of North Atlantic swordfish and other highly migratory 
        species of fish by 75 percent in the directed commercial 
        swordfish fishery by 2005 through the implementation of 
        appropriate management and conservation measures, with 50 
        percent of this reduction occurring in the first 2 years;
            (3) dead North Atlantic swordfish and all other highly 
        migratory species discarded as a result of commercial fishing 
        activities should be counted against species-specific quotas of 
        the United States established as a result of domestic 
        regulation or international fishery management agreements;
            (4) species-specific bycatch limits should be established 
        by the United States for North Atlantic swordfish and all other 
        highly migratory species, that, if exceeded, trigger 
        predetermined regulatory actions having as their sole purpose 
        the conservation of highly migratory species;
            (5) time and area closures for longline and driftnet gear 
        should be utilized for known nursery areas, spawning grounds, 
        and other areas with high concentrations of commercial bycatch 
        of North Atlantic swordfish and other highly migratory species 
        to reduce its associated mortality;
            (6) longlines intended for use in the exclusive economic 
        zone of the United States or by United States fishing vessels 
        should be limited to not more than 10 standard highway miles in 
        overall length to reduce the bycatch and associated mortality 
        of North Atlantic swordfish and other highly migratory species;
            (7) the use of longlines should be prohibited in the 
        exclusive economic zone of the United States or by United 
        States fishing vessels for more than 6 consecutive hours 
        without retrieving the longlines, to reduce harmful levels of 
        bycatch mortality associated with the bycatch of highly 
        migratory species;
            (8) additional fishing gear and technique modifications 
        should be required as necessary to accomplish needed bycatch 
        reduction goals for swordfish and other highly migratory 
        species;
            (9) domestic observer coverage should be increased to not 
        less that 50 percent of all pelagic longline and driftnet 
        vessels pursuing highly migratory species in United States 
        waters;
            (10) representatives of the United States should 
        aggressively pursue complementary international conservation 
        and management measures for highly migratory species, including 
        meaningful international enforcement and compliance measures, 
        beginning at the 1999 International Commission for the 
        Conservation of Atlantic Tunas regular meeting and during the 
        course of other international fishery discussions and 
        negotiations; and
            (11) if conservation and management goals are not 
        adequately met in the final fisheries management plan for 
        highly migratory species, the Congress should seek to enact 
        such restrictions and conservation measures as are necessary to 
        ensure that the policies expressed in this concurrent 
        resolution are met in the most expeditious manner possible.
                                 <all>