[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 18 (Monday, February 1, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E84]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   THE FAIRNESS TO UNITED STATES DISTANT WATER FISHERMEN ACT OF 2016

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                           HON. DUNCAN HUNTER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 1, 2016

  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, for 28 years the United States has been a 
party to the Treaty on Fisheries Between the Governments of Certain 
Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of 
America. At the time of its development, the Treaty resolved maritime 
boundary disputes and secured access for United States fishermen to 
tuna stocks wherever they migrated beyond the coastal waters of Pacific 
Island nations. To provide such access, multi-year fishing agreements 
were established, where vessel owners could pay for a license to access 
the Treaty area, roughly ten million square miles of the South Pacific 
Ocean.
  In addition to the industry license payments, the Treaty includes a 
related Economic Assistance Agreement between the United States and the 
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency. The economic assistance usually 
ran in conjunction with the multi-year fishing agreement. Up until 
2013, when a 10-year Economic Assistance Agreement of $21 million a 
year was adopted. It is important to stress that the economic 
assistance does not occur on its own; it has always been tied to United 
States fishermen fishing in the Treaty area.
  Multi-year fishing agreements were fairly stable under the Treaty for 
the first 25 years, with the last 10-year agreement expiring in 2013. 
Since then, the United States and the Island nations have only been 
able to agree on annual agreements, the last few being detrimental to 
United States-flag vessels due to lower tuna prices and payment for 
unused fishing days causing economic hardship. The most recent 
nonbinding agreement was developed in August 2015, and has been under 
month's long discussion between the Department of State and the Pacific 
Island Forum Fisheries Agency regarding the final number of fishing 
days the United States and its industry will be paying for in 2016.
  Since January 1, 2016, United States-flag vessels have been banned 
from the Treaty fishing area, even though the United States Government 
paid $21 million in economic assistance in June 2015, which covers 
through June 2016. Thirty-seven United States-flag vessels are impacted 
by the ban and are losing money every day the vessels are tied up. The 
impact on the United States-flag fleet cannot be minimized. The 
viability of these United States companies and American jobs are at 
stake.
  For that reason, I am introducing the Fairness to United States 
Distant Water Fishermen Act of 2016. The bill would prohibit the United 
States Government from providing economic assistance payments to the 
Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency, when there is no Treaty 
agreement allowing United States-flag vessels access to the Treaty 
area.

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