[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.