[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 180 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 180

 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the policy of the United 
States at the 17th Regular Meeting of the International Convention for 
          the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in Murcia, Spain.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 13, 2001

    Mr. Kerry (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Hollings, and Mr. Helms) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the policy of the United 
States at the 17th Regular Meeting of the International Convention for 
          the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in Murcia, Spain.

Whereas certain marine species including Atlantic tunas, swordfish, marlins, 
        sailfishes, and pelagic sharks migrate through broad oceanic expanses 
        and traverse the coastal waters of many nations;
Whereas, of these highly migratory species, tuna and swordfish stocks in 
        particular support major fisheries and are among the most highly valued 
        of marine species;
Whereas due to the transboundary nomadic nature of these highly migratory 
        species, effective efforts to conserve and manage these stocks require 
        international cooperation and coordination;
Whereas the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
        (ICCAT) was established in 1966 to provide international management of 
        highly migratory species;
Whereas the highly migratory species managed by ICCAT support extremely 
        important commercial and recreational fisheries in the United States 
        which are vital sources of income to United States fishing communities;
Whereas repeated violations of ICCAT conservation quotas and minimum size 
        requirements, circumvention of compliance penalties and other actions 
        have undermined the ability of ICCAT to establish, maintain and enforce 
        conservation and rebuilding plans for overfished species of fish under 
        ICCAT's management authority;
Whereas the latest scientific information suggests there is extensive mixing of 
        bluefin tuna harvested in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean region 
        with bluefin tuna harvested in the western Atlantic;
Whereas the current level of harvest of bluefin tuna harvested in the eastern 
        Atlantic and Mediterranean is excessive and must be reduced, and that 
        due to mixing, management measures in the east directly affect the west; 
        and
Whereas a failure of ICCAT member nations to enforce quotas, size limits and 
        other conservation measures adversely affects United States commercial 
        and recreational fishermen: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the United States should make full use of all 
        appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, relevant international laws 
        and agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms to ensure 
        ICCAT member compliance with ICCAT conservation measures and 
        quotas, for all species under ICCAT management authority, 
        including bluefin tuna;
            (2) the United States should press for improved monitoring, 
        recording and reporting of harvesting and compliance 
        information by contracting and non-contracting nations to 
        ICCAT, including systems that will increase transparency of 
        such reporting information, in order to provide the scientific 
        information necessary for effective management of these stocks;
            (3) the United States should encourage the Commission to 
        identify nations that engage in actions that diminish the 
        effectiveness of the Commission's fishery conservation program, 
        including those engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated 
        fishing for these stocks; and
            (4) the United States should encourage the Commission to 
        adopt recommendations authorizing the use of enforceable 
        measures, including World Trade Organization-consistent trade 
        measures, to prevent such nations from taking actions that 
        would undermine the effectiveness of conservation and 
        management recommendations of the Commission.
                                 <all>