[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.

                          ____________________