[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 427 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 427

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the imposition of trade 
    sanctions on nations that are undermining the effectiveness of 
conservation and management measures for Atlantic marlin adopted by the 
  International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and 
     that are threatening the continued viability of United States 
                 commercial and recreational fisheries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 26, 2002

   Mr. Gilchrest (for himself, Mr. Jones of North Carolina, and Mr. 
   Saxton) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the imposition of trade 
    sanctions on nations that are undermining the effectiveness of 
conservation and management measures for Atlantic marlin adopted by the 
  International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and 
     that are threatening the continued viability of United States 
                 commercial and recreational fisheries.

Whereas some fishing vessels of member and nonmember nations of the 
        International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
        (hereinafter referred to as the ``Commission'') fishing in the 
        Commission regulatory area have not complied with Commission resolutions 
        promoting the live release of Atlantic marlin and the rebuilding of 
        Atlantic blue marlin and white marlin populations;
Whereas repeated violations of Commission recommendations by fishing vessels of 
        Commission member and nonmember nations undermine the effectiveness of 
        the Commission to establish, maintain, and enforce conservation and 
        rebuilding plans for overfished species of fish that are under the 
        Commission's management authority;
Whereas failure of Commission member nations to enforce reductions in Atlantic 
        marlin landings and other conservation measures threatens the continued 
        viability of United States commercial and recreational fishing 
        industries;
Whereas the continued importation into the United States of fish and fish 
        products from nations that are not in compliance with Commission 
        resolutions to protect Atlantic white marlin and other fish species 
        indicates United States complicity in continued overfishing;
Whereas the Commission has adopted a resolution that further defines the scope 
        of illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing activities by large-
        scale longline vessels in the Commission regulatory area; and
Whereas such resolution includes provisions directing Commission member and 
        nonmember nations to take every possible action, consistent with 
        relevant laws, to instruct their importers, transporters, and other 
        concerned business people to refrain from engaging in transaction and 
        transshipment of tunas and tuna-like species from vessels that engage in 
        illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing activities, including 
        vessels that engage in any fishing that is not in compliance with 
        relevant Commission conservation and management measures: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the President should--
            (1) direct the United States Commissioners to the 
        International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
        (in this resolution referred to as the ``Commission'') to make 
        Atlantic marlin conservation their highest priority;
            (2) encourage countries that fish in the Commission 
        regulatory area to make every effort to end illegal, 
        unregulated, and unreported fishing, including any fishing that 
        is not in compliance with relevant conservation recommendations 
        adopted by the Commission especially with regard to Atlantic 
        marlin mortality;
            (3) make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, 
        relevant international laws and agreements, and other 
        appropriate mechanisms to ensure Commission member compliance 
        with conservation recommendations for all species under the 
        Commission's management authority, including Atlantic marlin;
            (4) encourage the Commission to adopt conservation 
        recommendations authorizing the use of enforceable measures, 
        including World Trade Organization-consistent trade measures, 
        to prevent such nations that fish in the Commission regulatory 
        area from taking actions that would undermine the effectiveness 
        of conservation recommendations of the Commission; and
            (5) if any vessel of a nation fishes in the Atlantic Ocean 
        without complying with the conservation recommendations adopted 
        by the Commission, such fishing should be considered to 
        diminish the effectiveness of international fishery 
        conservation recommendations and, therefore, such nation should 
        be considered to be subject to the import embargo provisions in 
        section 6(c)(4) and (5) of the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 
        1975 (16 U.S.C. 971d(c)(4) and (5)) and 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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