III

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 169

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

NOVEMBER 3 (legislative day, NOVEMBER 2), 1993

Received

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To express the sense of the Congress that the United States

should seek compliance by all countries with the conservation and management recommendations and agreements adopted for Atlantic bluefin tuna and other highly

migratory species by the International Commission for

the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, and for other purposes.

Whereas Atlantic bluefin tuna are a valuable commercial and

recreational fishery of the United States;

Whereas many countries, including the United States, fish for

Atlantic bluefin tuna and other highly migratory species

in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea;

Whereas the International Commission for the Conservation

of Atlantic Tunas (hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’), is the international entity established to adopt

recommendations and develop international agreements

for the conservation and management of Atlantic bluefin
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tuna and other highly migratory species in the Atlantic

Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea;

Whereas in the last 25 years Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks

have declined from historic levels;

Whereas, for management purposes, the Commission has

adopted a working hypothesis of 2 stocks of Atlantic

bluefin tuna: a western stock found in the Atlantic Ocean

west of 45 degrees west longitude (hereinafter referred to

as the ‘‘45 degree line’’), and an eastern stock found in

the Atlantic Ocean east of the 45 degree line and in the

Mediterranean Sea;

Whereas the existing scientific evidence is inconclusive with

respect to the working hypothesis of 2 stocks, the extent

to which each of the hypothesized stocks migrates across

the 45 degree line is unknown, and the 45 degree line is

considered to be arbitrary;

Whereas the Commission adopted conservation and management recommendations in 1974 to ensure the recovery

and sustainability of all Atlantic bluefin tuna throughout

the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea;

Whereas, in recent years, the Commission has adopted additional, more restrictive conservation and management

recommendations for Atlantic bluefin tuna, for countries

that fish for Atlantic bluefin tuna west of the 45 degree

line;

Whereas the United States and other countries that are

members of the Commission and that fish west of the 45

degree line have implemented all conservation and management recommendations for Atlantic bluefin tuna

adopted by the Commission that apply west of the 45 degree line;
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Whereas many other countries that are members of the Commission do not comply with conservation and management recommendations for Atlantic bluefin tuna adopted

by the Commission that apply east of the 45 degree line

and in the Mediterranean Sea;

Whereas this continuing failure to comply east of the 45 degree line and in the Mediterranean Sea by countries that

are members of the Commission will undermine the recovery of Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks;

Whereas recent large increases in the catch of Atlantic

bluefin tuna within 100 miles east of the 45 degree line

by countries that are members of the Commission could

be having a negative impact on the recovery of Atlantic

bluefin tuna and probably do not comply with recommendations of the Commission; and

Whereas countries that are not members of the Commission

are having a negative impact on the recovery of Atlantic

bluefin tuna stocks by fishing throughout the Atlantic

Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea without regard for

conservation and management recommendations adopted

by the Commission: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) the United States and the International

4 Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas

5 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’)

6 should continue to promote the conservation and

7 management of highly migratory species, including
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1 Atlantic bluefin tuna, throughout the Atlantic Ocean

2 and the Mediterranean Sea;

3 (2) the United States should obtain commit4 ments through the Commission, from all countries

5 that are signatories to the International Convention

6 for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and that are

7 not in compliance with all of the conservation and

8 management recommendations and agreements for

9 Atlantic bluefin tuna and other highly migratory

10 species that have been adopted by the Commission,

11 that those countries will immediately comply with

12 those recommendations and agreements;

13 (3) the United States should continue to en14 courage all other countries that fish for Atlantic

15 bluefin tuna or other highly migratory species in the

16 Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea to comply

17 with the conservation and management recommenda18 tions and agreements adopted for those species by

19 the Commission;

20 (4) if a country fishes in the Atlantic Ocean or

21 the Mediterranean Sea for Atlantic bluefin tuna or

22 another highly migratory species without complying

23 with the conservation and management recommenda24 tions and agreements adopted by the Commission

25 for that species, such fishing will be considered by
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1 the Congress to diminish the effectiveness of an

2 international fishery conservation program, and as

3 such will be considered by the Congress to be certifi4 able under section 8(a)(1) of the Fishermen’s Pro5 tective Act of 1967 (22 U.S.C. 1978(a)(1));

6 (5) the United States should encourage coun7 tries that have significant markets for Atlantic

8 bluefin tuna to prohibit the importation of that spe9 cies from other countries that fish for that species

10 without regard for the conservation and manage11 ment recommendations and agreements adopted by

12 the Commission;

13 (6) the United States should continue to ex14 plore, through the Commission, the appropriateness

15 of working hypotheses of the Commission that stocks

16 of highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean

17 can be delineated by lines of latitude or longitude,

18 including specifically that there are 2 stocks of At19 lantic bluefin tuna delineated by the line 45 degrees

20 west longitude; and

21 (7) the United States should seek, through the

22 Commission, an agreement to ensure that if the

23 Commission uses any line to divide the stock of At24 lantic bluefin tuna for management purposes and

25 adopts for that stock any conservation and manage-
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1 ment recommendation or agreement for one side of

2 the line that is more restrictive than the conserva3 tion and management recommendations and agree4 ments adopted by the Commission for that stock for

5 the other side of the line, then any fishing for Atlan6 tic bluefin tuna within 10 degrees of the line shall

7 be conducted in compliance with that more restric8 tive recommendation or agreement.

Passed the House of Representatives November 2,

1993.

Attest: DONNALD K. ANDERSON,

Clerk.