[Senate Treaty Document 113-3]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


113th Congress                                              Treaty Doc.
SENATE
1st Session                                                113-3
_______________________________________________________________________

                                     

 
 AMENDMENT TO THE CONVENTION ON FUTURE MULTILATERAL COOPERATION IN THE 
                      NORTHWEST ATLANTIC FISHERIES

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

 AMENDMENT TO THE CONVENTION ON FUTURE MULTILATERAL COOPERATION IN THE 
  NORTHWEST ATLANTIC FISHERIES, ADOPTED ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2007, AT THE 
      TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC FISHERIES 
                          ORGANIZATION (NAFO)




April 22, 2013.--Treaty was read the first time, and together with the 
accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations and 
            ordered to be printed for the use of the Senate


                         LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

                              ----------                              

                                   The White House, April 22, 2013.
To the Senate of the United States:
    With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the 
Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Amendment to 
the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the 
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (the ``Convention''), adopted on 
September 28, 2007, at the twenty-ninth Annual Meeting of the 
North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). I also transmit, 
for the information of the Senate, the report of the Secretary 
of State on the Amendment, which includes an article-by-article 
analysis.
    The Amendment serves to bring the Convention in line with 
modern international fisheries governance, including revisions 
to its decisionmaking and objection rules and a new 
comprehensive dispute settlement procedure. The Amendment also 
reflects changes to the budget contribution scheme that are 
expected to significantly reduce U.S. annual payments to NAFO. 
Involved Federal agencies and stakeholders strongly support the 
proposed changes to the Convention. The strengthened Convention 
will improve the way NAFO manages the fish stocks under its 
purview and enforces compliance with the measures it adopts, 
which in turn will improve the chances that key stocks in the 
Northwest Atlantic will recover enough to support resumed 
fishing.
    The recommended changes to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries 
Convention Act of 1995 necessary to implement the Amendment 
will be submitted separately to the Congress. I therefore 
recommend that the Senate give favorable consideration to the 
Amendment to the Convention and give its advice and consent to 
ratification at the earliest possible date.
                                                      Barack Obama.


                          LETTER OF SUBMITTAL

                              ----------                              

                                       Department of State,
                                      Washington, October 19, 2012.
The President,
The White House.
    The President: I have the honor to submit to you, with a 
view to its transmission to the Senate for advice and consent 
to ratification, comprehensive amendments to the 1979 
Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest 
Atlantic Fisheries (the ``Convention''), adopted in Lisbon, 
Portugal on September 28, 2007. Also enclosed is an Overview of 
the amended Convention, which includes a detailed article-by-
article analysis.
    The Convention established the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries 
Organization (NAFO), which is charged with coordinating the 
scientific study and cooperative management of most of the 
fisheries resources of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. NAFO 
launched a reform effort in 2005 to bring itself in line with 
the principles of modem fisheries management, which also 
offered the opportunity to address the United States' 
particular concerns over catch allocations and fair 
participation.
    The resulting comprehensive amendments include new articles 
detailing definitions and general principles; specifying the 
basic duties of Contracting Parties, flag State Parties and 
port State Parties; and addressing cooperation with non-
Contracting Parties and other international organizations. The 
amendments also change the basis for decision-making and impose 
greater discipline on the process by which Contracting Parties 
may object to a Commission decision. The revised text 
establishes for the first time a comprehensive dispute 
settlement procedure. Finally, the updates create a more 
equitable budget contribution scheme, which, once in force, is 
expected to reduce U.S. payments to the Organization by at 
least one-third,
    The U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
the U.S. Coast Guard, environmental NGOs, and the U.S. fishing 
industry support the amendments. The strengthened Convention 
will improve the way NAFO manages the stocks under its purview 
and enforces compliance with the measures it adopts, which in 
turn will improve the chances that key stocks will recover 
enough to support resumed fishing.
    Recommended changes to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries 
Convention Act of 1995 to implement the amendments will be 
submitted separately to the Congress.
    I recommend, therefore, that you transmit the amended 
Convention to the Senate for its advice and consent to 
ratification at the earliest possible date.
    Respectfully submitted.
                                            Hillary Rodham Clinton.
    Enclosure: As stated.