[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 101 (Thursday, July 27, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1567]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE STEVENS-INOUYE INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES MONITORING 
                       AND COMPLIANCE LEGACY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RICHARD W. POMBO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2006

  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, today, my colleagues, Neil Abercrombie, Don 
Young, Jim Saxton and I are introducing the Stevens-Inouye 
International Fisheries Monitoring and Compliance Legacy Act. This 
legislation will amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act--the Nation's premier fishery conservation statute--and 
Title IV of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act to 
promote additional measures to reduce Illegal, Unreported and 
Unregulated fishing activities. In addition, the bill will implement 
two international fisheries treaties--the Western and Central Pacific 
Fisheries Convention and the Agreement between the Governments of the 
United States and Canada on Pacific Hake/Whiting.
  This legislation continues to build on the United States' tradition 
of implementing fishery conservation and management measures 
domestically and internationally. The United States has been a leader 
at many international fora to move forward policies that require 
countries to enforce conservation measures on their flag vessels.
  Some international fisheries commissions have been more successful 
than others in passing resolutions recommending the implementation of 
conservation measures for fish species in international waters and 
tying to these measures adequate enforcement provisions. Title I of the 
Stevens-Inouye International Fisheries Monitoring and Compliance Legacy 
Act requires the Secretary of Commerce to work toward getting all 
international fisheries commissions to adopt effective enforcement 
provisions for species of fish under their jurisdiction.
  The effective enforcement of conservation measures for vessels 
fishing in international waters will help reduce and work toward 
eliminating the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities 
occurring in many high seas areas. This legislation would require the 
Secretary to work with international fishery commissions to adopt 
market-based incentives, use vessel monitoring systems, and create 
international vessel registries as ways to eliminate unregulated 
fishing activities.
  Title II and III of this legislation would implement the Western and 
Central Pacific Fisheries Convention and the Agreement between the 
Governments of the United States and Canada on Pacific Hake/Whiting, 
respectively. These two titles will allow for U.S. participation in 
these important international fishery commissions. As in Title I of 
this legislation, U.S. participation at these international commissions 
is critical to moving forward U.S. policies to further conserve Pacific 
Highly Migratory Species and Pacific Whiting and the adoption of 
effective enforcement measures.
  The Senate Commerce Committee, led by Co-Chairmen Stevens and Inouye, 
have been leaders on this issue and have passed similar legislation 
through the Senate and the short title of the bill recognizes their 
leadership in this area.
  This is an important piece of legislation and I look forward to 
working with my House Colleagues and my Senate Colleagues to pass this 
bill to the President before the end of the year.

                          ____________________