[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 175 (Tuesday, November 13, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H13527-H13528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROMOTING THE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 229) expressing the sense of 
the Congress that the United States should seek a review of compliance 
by all nations with the International Commission for the Conservation 
of Atlantic Tunas' conservation and management recommendations for 
Atlantic bluefin tuna and other species, and should pursue strengthened 
conservation and management measures to facilitate the recovery of the 
Atlantic bluefin tuna, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 229

       Whereas Atlantic bluefin tuna are a valuable commercial and 
     recreational fishery of the United States and many other 
     countries;
       Whereas the International Convention for the Conservation 
     of Atlantic Tunas (hereinafter referred to as ``the 
     Convention'') was signed in 1966;
       Whereas the Convention established the International 
     Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
     (hereinafter referred to as ``the Commission'') to coordinate 
     international research and develop conservation and 
     management recommendations on Atlantic bluefin tuna and other 
     highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean and the 
     adjacent seas, including the Mediterranean Sea;
       Whereas in 1974, the Commission adopted its first 
     conservation and management recommendation to ensure the 
     sustainability of Atlantic bluefin tuna throughout the 
     Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, while allowing for the 
     maximum sustainable catch for food and other purposes;
       Whereas in 1981, for management purposes, the Commission 
     adopted a working hypothesis of two Atlantic bluefin tuna 
     stocks, with one occurring west of 45 degree west longitude 
     (hereinafter referred to as the ``western Atlantic stock'') 
     and the other occurring east of 45 degree west longitude 
     (hereinafter referred to as the ``eastern Atlantic and 
     Mediterranean stock'');
       Whereas since 1981, the Commission has adopted additional 
     and more restrictive conservation and management 
     recommendations for the western Atlantic stock, and these 
     recommendations have been implemented by nations fishing west 
     of 45 degree west longitude;
       Whereas despite adoption and full implementation of a 
     science-based rebuilding program for the western Atlantic 
     stock by countries fishing west of 45 degree west longitude, 
     catches and catch rates remain very low;
       Whereas in contrast to the conservation and management 
     measures implemented for the western Atlantic stock, total 
     allowable catches for the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean 
     stock have been consistently set at levels significantly 
     above scientific recommendations intended to maintain bluefin 
     tuna populations at levels that will permit the maximum 
     sustainable catch;
       Whereas compliance with eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean 
     stock quotas by parties to the Convention that harvest that 
     stock has been very poor, most recently with harvests 
     exceeding such total allowable catch levels by over 50 
     percent for each of the last 4 years;
       Whereas poor management and compliance with recommendations 
     for the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean stock are of grave 
     concern because the condition of the eastern Atlantic and 
     Mediterranean stock could adversely affect recovery of the 
     western Atlantic stock due to mixing between the two stocks;
       Whereas recent scientific data shows considerable mixing of 
     the two stocks and additional research on stock mixing will 
     improve the understanding of the relationship between the two 
     stocks and the fisheries for such stocks, which will assist 
     in the management of these species throughout their ranges;
       Whereas poor data reporting on eastern Atlantic and 
     Mediterranean stock quotas has frequently thwarted efforts by 
     the Commission to assign quota overharvests to specific 
     countries;
       Whereas many Commission members fishing east of 45 degree 
     west longitude do not comply with other Commission 
     recommendations to control eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean 
     bluefin tuna fisheries and conserve this overfished resource 
     and, more generally, lack of compliance with Commission 
     recommendations is an ongoing problem;
       Whereas the Commission's Standing Committee on Research and 
     Statistics (hereinafter referred to as ``SCRS'') noted in its 
     2006 report that the fishing mortality rate for the eastern 
     Atlantic and Mediterranean stock may be more than three times 
     the level that would permit the stock to stabilize at the 
     maximum sustainable catch level, and continuing to fish at 
     the level of recent years ``is expected to drive the spawning 
     biomass to a very low level'' giving ``rise to a high risk of 
     fishery and stock collapse'';
       Whereas the SCRS has recommended that the annual harvest 
     levels for eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna be 
     reduced from 32,000 metric tons to approximately 15,000 
     metric tons to halt decline of the resource and initiate 
     recovery;
       Whereas in 2006, the Commission adopted the 
     ``Recommendation by ICCAT to Establish a Multi-Annual 
     Recovery Plan for Bluefin Tuna in the eastern Atlantic and 
     Mediterranean'' (hereinafter referred to as the ``Recovery 
     Plan'') containing a wide range of management and monitoring 
     and

[[Page H13528]]

     control measures designed to facilitate the recovery of the 
     eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna stock; and
       Whereas the Recovery Plan is inadequate and allows 
     overfishing and stock decline to continue, and initial 
     information indicates that implementation of the plan in 2007 
     by many eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna-
     harvesting countries has been poor, reflecting a business-as-
     usual attitude from the countries harvesting this stock that 
     is unacceptable in light of the 2006 SCRS assessment showing 
     a high risk of a fishery and stock collapse: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that the 
     United States, through the International Commission for the 
     Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (hereinafter in this 
     concurrent resolution referred to as the ``Commission''), 
     should--
       (1) pursue a review and assessment of compliance with 
     conservation and management measures adopted by the 
     Commission and in effect for the 2006 eastern Atlantic and 
     Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery, occurring east of 45 
     degree west longitude, and other fisheries that are subject 
     to the jurisdiction of the Commission, including data 
     collection and reporting requirements;
       (2) seek to address noncompliance by nations with such 
     measures through appropriate actions, including, as 
     appropriate, deducting a proportion of a future quota for a 
     country to compensate for such country exceeding its quota in 
     prior years;
       (3) pursue a meaningful discussion of the implementation 
     and effectiveness of the Commission recommendation entitled 
     ``Recommendation by ICCAT to Establish a Multi-Annual 
     Recovery Plan for Bluefin Tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and 
     Mediterranean'' (Recommendation 06-05), including seeking 
     detailed explanations from Commission members that have 
     failed to fully implement the terms of the recommendation; 
     and
       (4) seek to strengthen the conservation and management of 
     the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna by making 
     recommendations to halt the decline of the stock and begin to 
     rebuild it.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  House Concurrent Resolution 229 sends a message encouraging the 42 
member nations attending the International Commission for the 
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas to take actions to stop the overfishing 
of bluefin tuna.
  Since 1981, fishermen in the United States and other nations in the 
Western Atlantic have curtailed fishing to help the bluefin recover. At 
the same time, other nations in the eastern Atlantic and the 
Mediterranean have continued to fish at levels exceeding limits 
recommended by the scientists. If serious conservation actions are not 
taken, we will lose the bluefin tuna.
  House Concurrent Resolution 229 demonstrates our support for the U.S. 
delegation and other nations attending the meeting in Turkey to act 
decisively to conserve bluefin tuna.
  I commend Congressman Frank Pallone for introducing this resolution, 
and I urge all Members to support it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House 
Concurrent Resolution 229, promoting the conservation and management of 
the Atlantic bluefin tuna.
  The United States has been instrumental in working towards a viable 
and successful rebuilding plan for western Atlantic bluefin tuna. 
Unfortunately, the countries fishing on the eastern bluefin tuna stock 
have repeatedly ignored the recommendations of the scientific committee 
and set quotas for eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna at unsustainable 
levels. To add insult to injury, those countries have not even complied 
with these unsustainable quotas, having continued to fish at levels far 
over the unsustainable quota level.
  This concurrent resolution is very timely, within the 20th meeting of 
the Tuna Commission, occurring this week in Turkey. The U.S. delegation 
should continue its leadership role and propose additional conservation 
measures for eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna. Moreover, the delegation 
should work to get the Commission to adopt viable compliance measures 
and, if necessary, sanctions for those countries that continue to 
ignore the conservation and management recommendations of the 
Commission.
  I urge a ``yes'' vote on this particular bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, again, I request that my colleagues 
support this House Concurrent Resolution 229, as amended.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 229, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as amended, was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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