    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [May 17, 1991]
    [Page 521]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress on Japanese Importation of Sea Turtles
    May 17, 1991

    To the Congress of the United States:
        On March 20, 1991, Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan and
    Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher certified under section 8 of the
    Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967, as amended (Pelly Amendment), 22
    U.S.C. 1978(a)(2), that nationals of Japan have engaged in trade in sea
    turtles that threatens the survival of two endangered species and
    severely diminishes the effectiveness of the Convention on International
    Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an
    international conservation program.
        The certification by the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce
    was made because Japan has allowed its nationals to import large amounts
    of raw hawksbill sea turtle shell and olive ridley sea turtle skin. All
    sea turtles were recognized as endangered by CITES on July 1, 1975, and
    listed on Appendix I of that convention, which prohibits all
    international trade in the listed products. When Japan joined CITES in
    1981, it reserved on hawksbill and olive ridley sea turtles and
    continued to trade in them.
        Since the certification, my Administration has held discussions with
    the Government of Japan in an effort to end its trade in sea turtles.
    The Government of Japan has responded by ending its trade in olive
    ridley sea turtles and announcing publicly its intent to withdraw its
    reservations to CITES on olive ridleys. It has also announced publicly
    its commitment to end all trade in hawksbill sea turtles by a date
    certain and make a decision in the near future on the specific date for
    ending the trade and for lifting its reservation to CITES for this
    species. Given these commitments, I have decided not to recommend
    specific measures to prohibit wildlife imports at this time pending an
    assessment within 30 days of the adequacy of Japan's actions to lift its
    reservation and bring to a conclusive end its trade in hawksbill sea
    turtles. Based on that assessment, an additional report will be made to
    the Congress.

                                                                 George Bush

    The White House,
    May 17, 1991.