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103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 183

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the action taken by the Government

of France against United States seafood products is a totally unwarranted action that is having severe repercussions on United States seafood producers and, in general, the United States fishing industry.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 28 (legislative day, FEBRUARY 22), 1994

Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. STEVENS, Mr. PELL, Mr.

MITCHELL, Mr. COHEN, Mr. MURKOWSKI, and Mr. CHAFEE) submitted

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign

Relations

MARCH 8 (legislative day, FEBRUARY 22), 1994

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the action taken

by the Government of France against United States seafood products is a totally unwarranted action that is

having severe repercussions on United States seafood

producers and, in general, the United States fishing

industry.

Whereas the United States sells over $100 million of fresh

and frozen seafood products to France annually;

Whereas the actions of the Government of France are adversely affecting the United States fishing industry;
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SRES 183 ATS1S

Whereas this adverse effect is particularly severe on those

parts of the industry that harvest, process, and market

fresh ‘‘underutilized species’’ such as dogfish, monkfish

and skate, and causes disruptions to the normal flow of

commerce for developed United States fisheries such as

salmon and groundfish;

Whereas the French markets for these species and other species are important since Europeans, particularly the

French, value fresh seafood products highly;

Whereas the Government of France is continuing to require

inspections and testing, despite accepting the existing

United States seafood certification programs of the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Food and Drug

Administration;

Whereas the Government of France’s additional inspections

and testing are continuing without adequate justification

or evidence of human health risks;

Whereas the unsubstantiated additional inspections and testing required by the Government of France, which can

take up to four days, delay the delivery of fresh seafood

products to the point where they begin to spoil and thus

have effectively closed the French market to fresh United

States seafood products; and

Whereas the harassment by the Government of France of

seafood producers and products from the United States

violates international agreements and raises serious questions about the usefulness of entering into agreements

with the European Union and France: Now, therefore, be

it

1 Resolved, That the Senate—
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SRES 183 ATS1S

1 (a) calls upon the Government of France to

2 stop immediately its harassment of United States

3 seafood producers and products;

4 (b) demand that the Government of France

5 compensate United States companies that have had

6 seafood products damaged by its actions; and

7 (c) calls upon the President of the United

8 States to identify appropriate forms of sanctions

9 that can be taken against the Government of France

10 for its egregious violation of international agree11 ments.

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