[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 94 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 94


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 7, 2007

   Received and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
     Encouraging the elimination of harmful fishing subsidies that 
 contribute to overcapacity in commercial fishing fleets worldwide and 
          that lead to the overfishing of global fish stocks.

Whereas nearly 1,000,000,000 people around the world depend on fish as their 
        primary source of dietary protein;
Whereas the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has found that 75 
        percent of the world's fish populations are currently fully exploited, 
        over

              

 exploited, significantly depleted, or recovering from overexploitation;

Whereas scientists have estimated that a significant percentage of big predator 
        fish such as tuna, marlin, and swordfish are gone from the world's 
        oceans as a result of overfishing by foreign fishing fleets;
Whereas the global fishing fleet capacity is estimated to be up to 250 percent 
        greater than is needed to catch what the ocean can sustainably produce;
Whereas the Congress recognized the threat of overfishing to our oceans and 
        economy and therefore included the requirement to end overfishing in the 
        United States by 2011 in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
        Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-479);
Whereas the United States Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans 
        Commission identified overcapitalization of the global fishing fleets as 
        a major contributor to the decline of economically important fish 
        populations;
Whereas harmful fishing subsidies encourage overcapitalization and overfishing; 
        support destructive fishing practices such as high seas trawling that 
        would not otherwise be economically viable; and amount to billions of 
        dollars annually;
Whereas such subsidies have also been documented to support illegal, 
        unregulated, and unreported fishing, which impacts commercial fisheries 
        in the United States and around the world both economically and 
        ecologically;
Whereas harmful fishing subsidies are concentrated in relatively few countries, 
        putting other fishing countries, including the United States, at an 
        economic disadvantage;
Whereas the United States is a world leader in advancing policies to eliminate 
        harmful fishing subsidies that support overcapacity and promote 
        overfishing; and
Whereas a wide range of countries are currently engaged in historic negotiations 
        to end harmful fishing subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and 
        overfishing: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the United States should continue to promote the elimination of 
harmful fishing subsidies that lead to--
            (1) overcapitalization;
            (2) overfishing; and
            (3) illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 5, 2007.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.

                               By Deborah M. Spriggs,

                                                          Deputy Clerk.