[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E600]]
  INTRODUCTION OF A 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

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 20, 2007

  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, the international community finds itself 
today at a crossroads with respect to certain policy decisions that 
will affect the future of the world's fisheries resources. The impacts 
of the decisions that the international community is poised to make in 
the coming weeks and months will determine the future sustainability of 
global fish stocks, including those stocks traditionally harvested by 
our domestic fishing industry.
  Among the challenges to ensuring the sustainability of the world's 
fisheries resources is the increasing demand for protein by consumers 
globally. It is precisely this demand for protein that has led to 
overcapacity in commercial fishing fleets worldwide, and that in turn, 
is leading to the reported depletion of global fish stocks. The United 
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that 75 percent 
of the world's fish stocks are considered over-fished, fully exploited, 
significantly depleted, or rebuilding under protective management. Some 
countries have recognized these depletion trends and the current 
vulnerability of fish stocks. The United States is among these 
countries. Together, these countries have taken swift action to 
responsibly manage, the catch volume and capacity of their domestic 
fishing fleets. Other countries, however, have not taken similar steps 
to mitigate the risks to global fish stocks or sought to manage the 
catch volume and capacity of their fleets from a global sustainability 
perspective. In fact, their fleets continue to grow in number despite 
these alarming trends. This imbalance needs to be addressed by the 
international community and the United States is in a position to 
exercise leadership and must do so.
  In the United States, we are doing what we can to restore, protect, 
and manage the precious fishery resources within our Exclusive Economic 
Zone. The most recent reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act requires that overfishing end by 2011. 
In addition, the United States government no longer provides economic 
incentives to build new fishing vessels as it once did two decades ago. 
Unfortunately, the leadership that the United States and others have 
demonstrated by proactively and responsibly reprioritizing financial 
assistance for domestic fishing fleets toward fisheries management 
programs and services and away from outright subsidies for growing 
fleet capacity has not been uniformly followed by the international 
community.
  Government subsidies for vessel construction and operation are common 
in many countries around the world. In these countries, too little of 
these subsidies go toward beneficial causes such as improving fisheries 
management and science. Rather, much of it goes to subsidize harmful 
activity, such as increased fuel consumption and fleet expansion. These 
harmful subsidies artificially decrease the cost of fishing and make it 
a profitable trade for thousands of vessels which without the benefit 
of these subsidies could not compete in the marketplace. Current 
estimates reveal that the sheer number of vessels actively fishing 
around the world today is 250 percent greater than what is actually 
necessary to fish at sustainable levels.
  Because of the interconnected nature of marine ecosystems, the 
impacts of overfishing of one stock in one region can have a profound, 
detrimental and cascading effect across the entire ocean ecosystem. 
Ecosystems span political boundaries. The effects and consequences of 
one country's policies and practices that give rise to overfishing, 
even if limited in its occurrence to be within its own waters, are 
realized and borne by other countries. But the problem does not stop 
there. Vessels are increasingly forced to travel farther distances away 
from their own home ports and familiar waters to contend with increased 
local competition and in response to a reduction in littoral fish 
stocks. In many cases, the high seas and even the Exclusive Economic 
Zones of other countries become enticing targets.
  The United States--like other countries--reserves the exclusive right 
to fish within its 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 
Hundreds of foreign vessels each year, however, are intercepted while 
fishing illegally in U.S. waters. This rise in illegal fishing is 
placing additional pressure on our already exploited resources, 
damaging our marine ecosystems, and taking away potential revenue from 
our domestic fishing industry. In 2006 alone, the United States Coast 
Guard intercepted 164 vessels fishing in our EEZ. This statistic is 
troubling. But what is even more troubling is the fact that this number 
represents only the number of vessels that were actually caught. It 
does not represent the total threat or existence of foreign fishing in 
our waters, particularly in waters where enforcement is difficult such 
as the waters around Guam.
  On Guam the problem of illegal fishing is insignificant. The Western 
Central Pacific area, which includes the EEZs around Hawaii, Guam and 
the other U.S. islands and territories in that region, is considered 
one of the Coast Guard's three highest threat areas for foreign 
fishing. The U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Russia borders are the other two. In 
2006, the Coast Guard recorded 11 incidents of illegal foreign fishing 
in the Western Central Pacific area. Since 2000, the Coast Guard has 
intercepted an average of 34 vessels per year. And, as mentioned 
earlier, this only represents the vessels that are being caught. There 
is no way to assess with any certainty how many other vessels are 
fishing illegally in our waters and thereby harming our fishing fleet 
by harvesting the fish stocks found within our EEZ.
  The species targeted in the Western Central Pacific area are 
generally extremely valuable, highly migratory species like tuna. Thus, 
the economic impact of illegal fishing is significant. Additionally, 
the long-term impact of overfishing on long-lived, predatory species 
such as tuna compounds the effect on the ocean ecosystem and economy.

  The problem of illegal foreign fishing is exacerbated by the fact 
that complete and comprehensive monitoring and enforcement by the Coast 
Guard of all U.S. waters is impractical. The Coast Guard Living Marine 
Resource Law Enforcement Division is responsible for patrolling over 
3.36 million square miles of ocean, much of which is extremely remote 
and subject to harsh conditions. The Coast Guard simply does not have 
the resources to patrol all waters and at all times.
  At the same time, the countries whose vessels are the most likely to 
be found illegally fishing in the U.S. EEZ are also countries that 
provide large capacity-increasing subsidies to their fishing fleets. 
Because enforcement is so difficult, it is even more important that we 
attack the issue at its root by encouraging worldwide capacity 
reduction and by discouraging other countries from making it 
economically feasible for their vessels to travel into our waters to 
fish.
  Today, I am introducing a concurrent resolution to encourage our 
government to work with other countries to bring about an end to the 
harmful subsidies that contribute to overcapacity in commercial fishing 
fleets and that lead to overfishing of global fish stocks. The 
continuing support of otherwise unsustainable fleets by certain 
countries means an ongoing threat to our country's marine resources and 
our domestic fishing industry.
  While we have no direct control over the actions of foreign 
governments, the Doha Round of the current World Trade Organization 
(WTO) negotiations have placed the United States in a unique position 
to influence the future use of harmful fisheries subsidies by these 
other countries. Through these negotiations the United States is 
presented with an opportunity to exercise its leadership 
internationally toward the phasing out of subsidies that increase 
fishing capacity and that promote overfishing. By passing this 
concurrent resolution, Congress can demonstrate to the world its 
support for our government as they move forward with these 
negotiations.
  It is my hope that my colleagues will support this concurrent 
resolution and that they will join me in encouraging action to protect 
the interests of our domestic fishing industry, our marine resources, 
and the sustainability of global fish stocks for the greater and shared 
interests of all members of the international community.

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