    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [May 16, 2005]
    [Pages 806-807]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Senate Transmitting the Convention for the Strengthening
    of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
    May 16, 2005

    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 for the Strengthening
    of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission established by the 1949
    Convention between the United States of America and the Republic of
    Costa Rica, with Annexes, (the ``Antigua Convention''), which was
    adopted on June 27, 2003, in Antigua, Guatemala, by the Parties to the
    1949 Convention. The United States signed the Antigua Convention on
    November 14, 2003. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate,
    the report of the Secretary of State with respect to the Antigua
    Convention, with an enclosure.

        The Antigua Convention sets forth the legal obligations and
    establishes the cooperative mechanisms necessary for the long-term
    conservation and sustainable use of the highly migratory fish stocks
    (such as tuna and swordfish) of the Eastern Pacific Ocean that range
    across extensive areas of the high seas as well as through waters under
    the fisheries jurisdiction of numerous coastal States. Once in force,
    the Antigua Convention will replace the original 1949 Convention
    establishing the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).
    Revisions to the 1949 Convention will strengthen the mandate of the
    IATTC to reflect changes in the law governing living marine resources
    since the adoption of the original Convention more than 50 years ago.

        The highly migratory fish stocks governed by the Antigua Convention
    constitute an important economic resource for the countries of the
    region and vital components of the marine ecosystem of the Eastern
    Pacific Ocean requiring careful conservation and management. Early entry
    intoforce and implementation of the Antigua Convention will offer the
    opportunity to strengthen conservation and management of these resources
    in important ways, including through enhanced efforts to ensure
    compliance and enforcement of agreed conservation and management
    measures.
        The Antigua Convention draws upon relevant provisions of the 1982
    United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the ``LOS Convention'')
    and the 1995 United Nations Agreement on the Conservation and Management
    of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (the ``U.N.
    Fish Stocks Agreement''). The Antigua Convention gives effect to the
    provisions of the LOS Convention and U.N. Fish Stocks Agreement that
    recognize as essential, and require cooperation to conserve highly
    migratory fish stocks through regional fishery management organizations,
    by those with direct interests in them--coastal States with authority to
    manage fishing in waters under their jurisdiction and those nations and
    entities whose vessels fish for these stocks.
        The United States, which played an instrumental role in negotiation
    of the revised Convention, has direct and important interests in the
    Antigua Convention and its early and effective implementation. United
    States fishing concerns, including the U.S. tuna industry, U.S.
    conservation organizations, and U.S. consumers, as well as those people
    who reside in those U.S. States bordering the Convention Area, have
    crucial stakes in the health of the oceans and their resources as
    promoted by the Antigua Convention.
        I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration
    to the Antigua

    [[Page 807]]

    Convention and give its advice and consent to ratification.

                                                              George W. Bush

    The White House,

    May 16, 2005.