[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12494]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, in executive session, I ask unanimous 
consent that the Injunction of Secrecy be removed from the following 
treaty transmitted to the Senate on June 16, 2004, by the President of 
the United States:

       Agreement with Canada on Pacific Hake/Whiting (Treaty 
     Document 108-24).

  I further ask that the treaty be considered as having been read the 
first time; that it be referred, with accompanying papers, to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the 
President's message be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The message of the President is as follows:

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 Agreement between the Government 
of the United States of America and the Government of Canada on Pacific 
Hake/Whiting (the ``Agreement''), done at Seattle, November 21, 2003. I 
am also enclosing, for the information of the Senate, the report of the 
Secretary of State on the Agreement.
  The Agreement establishes, for the first time, agreed percentage 
shares of the transboundary stock of Pacific hake, also known as 
Pacific whiting. It also creates a process through which U.S. and 
Canadian scientists and fisheries managers will recommend the total 
catch of Pacific hake each year, to be divided by a set percentage 
formula. Stakeholders from both countries will have significant input 
into this process.
  The Agreement not only allows the Parties to redress the overfishing 
that has led to a recent decline in stock levels, but also provides 
long-term stability for U.S. fishers and processors and a structure for 
future scientific collaboration.
  The recommended legislation necessary to implement the Agreement will 
be submitted separately to the Congress.
  I recommend that the Senate give favorable consideration to this 
Agreement and give its advice and consent to ratification at an early 
date.

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