110TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 17

JOINT RESOLUTION

Directing the United States to initiate international discussions and take necessary steps with other Nations to

negotiate an agreement for managing migratory and

transboundary fish stocks in the Arctic Ocean.

Whereas the decline of several commercially valuable fish

stocks throughout the world’s oceans highlights the

need for fishing nations to conserve fish stocks and

develop management systems that promote fisheries

sustainability;

Whereas fish stocks are migratory throughout their habitats, and changing ocean conditions can restructure

marine habitats and redistribute the species dependent on those habitats;

Whereas changing global climate regimes may increase

ocean water temperature, creating suitable new habitats in areas previously too cold to support certain

fish stocks, such as the Arctic Ocean;

Whereas habitat expansion and migration of fish stocks

into the Arctic Ocean and the potential for vessel

docking and navigation in the Arctic Ocean could

create conditions favorable for establishing and expanding commercial fisheries in the future;
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SJ 17 ES

Whereas commercial fishing has occurred in several regions of the Arctic Ocean, including the Barents Sea,

Kara Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Greenland Sea, although fisheries scientists have only limited data on current and projected future fish stock

abundance and distribution patterns throughout the

Arctic Ocean;

Whereas remote indigenous communities in all nations

that border the Arctic Ocean engage in limited, small

scale subsistence fishing and must maintain access to

and sustainability of this fishing in order to survive;

Whereas many of these communities depend on a variety

of other marine life for social, cultural and subsistence purposes, including marine mammals and

seabirds that may be adversely affected by climate

change, and emerging fisheries in the Arctic should

take into account the social, economic, cultural and

subsistence needs of these small coastal communities;

Whereas managing for fisheries sustainability requires

that all commercial fishing be conducted in accordance with science-based limits on harvest, timely and

accurate reporting of catch data, equitable allocation

and access systems, and effective monitoring and enforcement systems;

Whereas migratory fish stocks traverse international

boundaries between the exclusive economic zones of

fishing nations and the high seas, and ensuring sustainability of fisheries targeting these stocks requires

management systems based on international coordination and cooperation;
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SJ 17 ES

Whereas international fishing treaties and agreements

provide a framework for establishing rules to guide

sustainable fishing activities among those nations

that are parties to the agreement, and regional fisheries management organizations provide international

fora for implementing these agreements and facilitating international cooperation and collaboration;

Whereas under its authorities in the Magnuson-Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the

North Pacific Fishery Management Council has proposed that the United States close all Federal waters

in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas to commercial

fishing until a fisheries management plan is fully developed; and

Whereas future commercial fishing and fisheries management activities in the Arctic Ocean should be developed through a coordinated international framework,

as provided by international treaties or regional fisheries management organizations, and this framework

should be implemented before significant commercial

fishing activity expands to the high seas: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 That—

4 (1) the United States should initiate inter5 national discussions and take necessary steps with

6 other Arctic nations to negotiate an agreement or

7 agreements for managing migratory, transboundary,

8 and straddling fish stocks in the Arctic Ocean and
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SJ 17 ES

1 establishing a new international fisheries manage2 ment organization or organizations for the region;

3 (2) the agreement or agreements negotiated

4 pursuant to paragraph (1) should conform to the re5 quirements of the United Nations Fish Stocks

6 Agreement and contain mechanisms, inter alia, for

7 establishing catch and bycatch limits, harvest alloca8 tions, observers, monitoring, data collection and re9 porting, enforcement, and other elements necessary

10 for sustaining future Arctic fish stocks;

11 (3) as international fisheries agreements are ne12 gotiated and implemented, the United States should

13 consult with the North Pacific Regional Fishery

14 Management Council and Alaska Native subsistence

15 communities of the Arctic; and

16 (4) until the agreement or agreements nego17 tiated pursuant to paragraph (1) come into force

18 and measures consistent with the United Nations

19 Fish Stocks Agreement are in effect, the United

20 States should support international efforts to halt
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SJ 17 ES

1 the expansion of commercial fishing activities in the

2 high seas of the Arctic Ocean.

Passed the Senate October 4, 2007.

Attest:

Secretary.
110TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 17

JOINT RESOLUTION

Directing the United States to initiate international

Arctic Ocean.migratory and transboundary fish stocks in theNations to negotiate an agreement for managingdiscussions and take necessary steps with other