[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 64 (Monday, May 16, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5246-S5247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT NO. 109-1 AND TREATY
DOCUMENT NO. 109-2
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, as in executive session I ask unanimous
consent the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following
conventions transmitted to the Senate on May 16, 2005, by the President
of the United States: Convention Concerning Migratory Fish Stock in the
Pacific Ocean (Treaty Document 109-1); and Convention Strengthening the
Inter-American Tuna Commission (Treaty Document 109-2).
I further ask the conventions be considered as having been read the
first time; that they be referred, with accompanying papers, to the
Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and the
President's messages be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The messages of the President are as follows:
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 Convention on the Conservation
and Management of the Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and
Central Pacific Ocean, with Annexes (the ``WCPF Convention''), which
was adopted at Honolulu on September 5, 2000, by the Multilateral High
Level Conference on the Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and
Central Pacific Ocean. The United States signed the Convention on that
date. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of
the Secretary of State with respect to the WCPF Convention.
The WCPF Convention sets forth legal obligations and establishes
cooperative mechanisms that are needed in order to ensure the long-term
conservation and sustainable use of highly migratory fish stocks (such
as tuna, swordfish, and marlin) that range across extensive areas of
the high seas as well as through waters under the fisheries
jurisdiction of numerous coastal States. These constitute resources of
worldwide importance, with the fisheries for tuna in the Western and
Central Pacific being the largest and most valuable in the world.
Implementation of the WCPF Convention will offer the opportunity to
conserve and manage these resources responsibly before they become
subject to the pressures of overfishing and over-capacity that are so
evident elsewhere in the world's oceans.
The WCPF Convention builds upon the 1982 United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea and the 1995 United Nations Agreement on the
Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly
Migratory Fish Stocks. The WCPF Convention gives effect to the
provisions of these two instruments, which recognize cooperation to
conserve highly migratory fish stocks as essential, and require those
with direct interests in them coastal States with authority to manage
fishing in waters under their jurisdiction and nations whose vessels
fish for these stocks to engage in such cooperation through regional
fishery management organizations.
The WCPF Convention balances in an equitable fashion the interests of
coastal States, notably the island States that comprise the Forum
Fisheries Agency (FFA), in protecting important fishery resources off
their shores, and the interests of distant water fishing States,
notably Asian fishing nations and entities (Japan, Republic of Korea,
China, and Taiwan), whose fishing vessels range far from their own
shores.
The United States, which played an instrumental role in achieving
this balance, has direct and important interests in the WCPF Convention
and its early and effective implementation. The United States is both a
major distant water fishing nation (with the fourth-largest catch in
the region) and an important coastal State with significant Exclusive
Economic Zone waters in the region (including the waters around Hawaii,
American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands).
United States fishing concerns, including the U.S. tuna industry,
U.S. conservation organizations, and U.S. consumers, as well as those
residents of Hawaii and the U.S. Flag Pacific island areas of Guam,
American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands, all have a crucial
stake in the health of the oceans and their resources as promoted by
the WCPF Convention.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to
the WCPF Convention and give its advice and consent to its
ratification.
George W. Bush.
The White House, May 16, 2005.
____
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 Convention for the Strengthening
of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission established by the 1949
Convention between the United States of America and the Republic of
Costa Rica, with Annexes, (the ``Antigua Convention''), which was
adopted on June 27, 2003, in Antigua, Guatemala, by the Parties to the
1949 Convention. The United States signed the Antigua Convention on
November 14, 2003. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate,
the report of the Secretary of State with respect to the Antigua
Convention, with an enclosure.
The Antigua Convention sets forth the legal obligations and
establishes the cooperative mechanisms necessary for the long-term
conservation and sustainable use of the highly migratory fish stocks
(such as tuna and swordfish) of the Eastern Pacific Ocean that range
across extensive areas of the high seas as well as through waters under
the fisheries jurisdiction of numerous coastal States. Once in force,
the Antigua Convention will replace the original 1949 Convention
establishing the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).
Revisions to the 1949 Convention will strengthen the mandate of the
IATTC to reflect changes in the law governing living marine resources
since the adoption of the original Convention more than 50 years ago.
The highly migratory fish stocks governed by the Antigua Convention
constitute an important economic resource for the countries of the
region and vital components of the marine ecosystem of the Eastern
Pacific Ocean requiring careful conservation and management. Early
entry into force
[[Page S5247]]
and implementation of the Antigua Convention will offer the opportunity
to strengthen conservation and management of these resources in
important ways, including through enhanced efforts to ensure compliance
and enforcement of agreed conservation and management measures.
The Antigua Convention draws upon relevant provisions of the 1982
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the ``LOS
Convention'') and the 1995 United Nations Agreement on the Conservation
and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish
Stocks (the ``U.N. Fish Stocks Agreement''). The Antigua Convention
gives effect to the provisions of the LOS Convention and U.N. Fish
Stocks Agreement that recognize as essential, and require cooperation
to conserve highly migratory fish stocks through regional fishery
management organizations, by those with direct interests in them--
coastal States with authority to manage fishing in waters under their
jurisdiction and those nations and entities whose vessels fish for
these stocks.
The United States, which played an instrumental role in negotiation
of the revised Convention, has direct and important interests in the
Antigua Convention and its early and effective implementation. United
States fishing concerns, including the U.S. tuna industry, U.S.
conservation organizations, and U.S. consumers, as well as those people
who reside in those U.S. States bordering the Convention Area, have
crucial stakes in the health of the oceans and their resources as
promoted by the Antigua Convention.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to
the Antigua Convention and give its advice and consent to ratification.
George W. Bush.
The White House, May 16, 2005.
____________________