IV

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 124

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding acts of illegal aggression

by Canadian fishermen with respect to the Pacific salmon fishery, and

for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 25, 1997

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska (for himself and Mr. SAXTON) submitted the following

concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Resources,

and in addition to the Committee on International Relations, for a period

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee

concerned

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding acts of illegal

aggression by Canadian fishermen with respect to the

Pacific salmon fishery, and for other purposes.

Whereas Pacific salmon migrate across international boundaries, allowing United States salmon stocks and Canadian salmon stocks to intermingle as they travel through

the waters of the North Pacific Ocean;

Whereas after many years of negotiations, in 1985 the United States and Canada signed the Pacific Salmon Treaty

based on a primary principle of conservation and a secondary principle of equity;
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•HCON 124 IH

Whereas the United States and Canada formed the Pacific

Salmon Commission to implement the Pacific Salmon

Treaty;

Whereas the Pacific Salmon Commission does not regulate

the Pacific salmon fishery, but provides regulatory advice

and recommendations to the United States and Canada;

Whereas since the signing of the Pacific Salmon Treaty, the

United States and Canada have not agreed on the definition of ‘‘equity’’ for purposes of the principle of equity

underlying the Treaty, and this disagreement has created

a rift between the 2 governments and the regional stakeholders in the Pacific salmon fishery;

Whereas the Government of Canada has refused to participate in the Pacific Salmon Commission process, and Pacific salmon fishery regimes have not been in place since

1994;

Whereas the Government of Canada, in protest over the lack

of agreement regarding various issues under the Pacific

Salmon Treaty, in 1994 assessed on United States fishermen traveling to Alaska an illegal fee in violation of

international agreements, and has not reimbursed the

United States Government or United States fishermen

for that fee;

Whereas since 1994, the United States and Canada have

used special negotiators, a mediation process, and the

current stakeholders process to attempt to resolve past

disputes and negotiate annual and long-term Pacific

salmon fishery regimes;

Whereas Canada has failed to match the good faith efforts

of the United States in attempting to resolve differences

under the Pacific Salmon Treaty, in particular by reject-
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•HCON 124 IH

ing continued attempts to reach agreement and withdrawing from negotiations in June 1997 when an agreement seemed imminent;

Whereas Canadian fishermen have been frustrated with their

own government’s effort to resolve the Pacific Salmon

Treaty disputes and have used the harassment of United

States citizens as a way to get the attention of the Government of Canada;

Whereas Canadian fishermen, in protest over the lack of an

agreement regarding various issues under the Pacific

Salmon Treaty, recently undertook acts of illegal aggression against United States citizens by blocking the passage of a United States vessel, and the Government of

Canada failed to act quickly to end those acts; and

Whereas those acts and that failure should be condemned:

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 recent acts of illegal aggression by Ca4 nadian fishermen with respect to the Pacific salmon

5 fishery and the slow response of the Government of

6 Canada to those acts should be condemned;

7 (2) the President should immediately take steps

8 to protect the interests of the United States with re9 spect to the Pacific salmon fishery and should not

10 tolerate threats to those interests from the action or

11 inaction of a foreign government or its citizens;
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1 (3) the President should use all necessary and

2 appropriate means to compel the Government of

3 Canada to prevent any further illegal or harassing

4 actions against the United States or its fishermen

5 with respect to the Pacific salmon fishery; and

6 (4) the Government of Canada should resume

7 the stakeholders’ negotiations with respect to the

8 Pacific salmon fishery in the fall following the 1997

9 fishing season in an honest and forthright manner.

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