[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 55 (Monday, April 22, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S2855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT NO. 113-1, TREATY
DOCUMENT NO. 113-2, AND TREATY DOCUMENT NO. 113-3
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask unanimous
consent that the Injunction of Secrecy be removed from the following
treaties transmitted to the Senate on April 22, 2013, by the President
of the United States:
Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery
Resources in the South Pacific Ocean, Treaty Document No. 113-1;
Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries
Resources in the North Pacific Ocean, Treaty Document No. 113-2; and
amendment to the Convention of Future Multilateral Cooperation in the
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, Treaty Document No. 113-3.
I further ask that the treaties be considered as having been read the
first time, they be referred with the accompanying papers to the
Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed, and that 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:
I transmit herewith the Convention on the Conservation and Management
of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean (the
``Convention''), done at Auckland, New Zealand, November 14, 2009, with
a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to
ratification. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the
report of the Secretary of State on the Convention that includes an
article-by-article analysis.
The Convention establishes a regional fisheries management
organization through which Parties will give effect to their duty to
cooperate in the conservation and sustainable use of the high seas
fishery resources in the South Pacific Ocean and to safeguard the
marine ecosystems in which these resources occur.
The Convention requires Parties to apply specific conservation and
management principles and approaches in giving effect to the objective
of the Convention. These principles and approaches are enshrined in
existing international instruments to which the United States is a
party, such as the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions
of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of December 10,
1982, relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish
Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks of December 4, 1995. In
addition, the Convention requires that Parties design and adopt
specific conservation and management measures, such as limitations on
catch or effort, time or area closures, and gear restrictions.
The Department of State, Department of Commerce, U.S. Coast Guard,
and relevant U.S. stakeholders strongly support the Convention. The
legislation necessary to implement the Convention will be submitted
separately to the Congress for its consideration. I therefore recommend
that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to this
Convention and give its advice and consent to ratification.
Barack Obama.
The White House, April 22, 2013.
____
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 High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific
Ocean, done at Tokyo on February 24, 2012, and signed by the United
States on May 2, 2012 (the ``Convention''). I also transmit, for the
information of the Senate, the report of the Secretary of State on the
Convention that includes an article-by-article analysis.
The Convention establishes a regional fisheries management
organization through which Parties will cooperate to ensure the long-
term conservation and sustainable use of the fisheries resources in the
high seas of the North Pacific Ocean while protecting the marine
ecosystems in which these resources occur.
The Convention will require implementing legislation, which is being
drafted and will be submitted separately to the Congress for its
consideration.
Cooperation under the Convention will address fisheries resources not
covered under preexisting international fisheries management
instruments and will help to prevent destructive fishing practices on
the high seas that may have impacts on fisheries resources in areas
subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Ratification by the United States would
also ensure that future U.S. fisheries interests in the region subject
to the Convention will be factored into allocation decisions. I
therefore recommend that the Senate give favorable consideration to the
Convention and give its advice and consent to ratification at the
earliest possible date.
Barack Obama.
The White House, April 22, 2013.
____
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 Amendment to the Convention on
Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries
(the ``Convention''), adopted on September 28, 2007, at the twenty-
ninth Annual Meeting of the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization
(NAFO). I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report
of the Secretary of State on the Amendment, which includes an article-
by-article analysis.
The Amendment serves to bring the Convention in line with modern
international fisheries governance, including revisions to its
decisionmaking and objection rules and a new comprehensive dispute
settlement procedure. The Amendment also reflects changes to the budget
contribution scheme that are expected to significantly reduce U.S.
annual payments to NAFO. Involved Federal agencies and stakeholders
strongly support the proposed changes to the Convention. The
strengthened Convention will improve the way NAFO manages the fish
stocks under its purview and enforces compliance with the measures it
adopts, which in turn will improve the chances that key stocks in the
Northwest Atlantic will recover enough to support resumed fishing.
The recommended changes to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries
Convention Act of 1995 necessary to implement the Amendment will be
submitted separately to the Congress. I therefore recommend that the
Senate give favorable consideration to the Amendment to the Convention
and give its advice and consent to ratification at the earliest
possible date.
Barack Obama.
The White House, April 22, 2013.
____________________