III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 208 

Encouraging the elimination of harmful fishing subsidies that contribute to 

overcapacity in the world’s commercial fishing fleet and lead to the 

overfishing of global fish stocks. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 17, 2007 

Mr. STEVENS (for himself, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. COCHRAN, Ms. CANTWELL, Ms. 

SNOWE, Mr. LOTT, Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. 

SUNUNU, Ms. LANDRIEU, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. KERRY, Mr. LAUTENBERG, 

and Mr. VITTER) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Encouraging the elimination of harmful fishing subsidies that 

contribute to overcapacity in the world’s commercial fishing fleet and lead to the overfishing of global fish stocks. 

Whereas 2.6 billion people in the world get at least 20 

percent of their total dietary animal protein intake 

from fish; 

Whereas the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 

United Nations has found that 25 percent of the 

world’s fish population are currently overexploited, 

depleted, or recovering from overexploitation; 

Whereas scientists have estimated that populations of 

many large predator fish such as tuna, marlin, and 


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•SRES 208 ATS 

swordfish have been overfished by foreign industrial 

fishing fleets; 

Whereas the global fishing fleet capacity is estimated to 

be considerably greater than is needed to catch what 

the ocean can sustainably produce; 

Whereas the United States Congress recognized the 

threat of overfishing to our oceans and economy and 

therefore included the requirement to end overfishing 

in United States commercial fisheries by 2011 in the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (Public Law 

109–479); 

Whereas the United States Commission on Ocean Policy 

and the Pew Oceans Commission identified overcapitalization of the global commercial fishing fleets as a 

major contributor to the decline of economically important fish populations; 

Whereas harmful foreign fishing subsidies encourage 

overcapitalization and overfishing, support destructive fishing practices that would not otherwise be economically viable, and amount to $10 to $15 billion 

annually, an amount equivalent to 20 to 25 percent 

of the global commercial trade in fish; 

Whereas such subsidies have also been documented to 

support illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing, 

which impacts commercial fisheries in the United 

States and around the world both economically and 

ecologically; 

Whereas harmful fishing subsidies are concentrated in 

relatively few countries, putting other fishing counVerDate Aug 31 2005 05:04 May 18, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR208.ATS SR208

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•SRES 208 ATS 

tries, including the United States, at an economic 

disadvantage; 

Whereas the United States is a world leader in advancing 

policies to eliminate harmful fishing subsidies that 

support overcapacity and promote overfishing; and 

Whereas members of the World Trade Organization, as 

part of the Doha Development Agenda (Doha Development Round), are engaged in historic negotiations 

to end harmful fishing subsidies that contribute to 

overcapacity and overfishing: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate, That the United States should 

2 continue to promote the elimination of harmful foreign 

3 fishing subsidies that promote overcapitalization, over4 fishing, and illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing. 

Æ 


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