103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 169
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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 ‘‘Com-
mission’’), is the international entity established to adopt
recommendations and develop international agreements
for the conservation and management of Atlantic bluefin
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
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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 manage-
ment 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 addi-
tional, 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 man-
agement recommendations for Atlantic bluefin tuna
adopted by the Commission that apply west of the 45 de-
gree line;
Whereas many other countries that are members of the Com-
mission do not comply with conservation and manage-
ment 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 de-
gree line and in the Mediterranean Sea by countries that
are members of the Commission will undermine the re-
covery 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
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bluefin tuna and probably do not comply with rec-
ommendations 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
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) the United States and the International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
(hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’)
should continue to promote the conservation and
management of highly migratory species, including
Atlantic bluefin tuna, throughout the Atlantic Ocean
and the Mediterranean Sea;
(2) the United States should obtain commit-
ments through the Commission, from all countries
that are signatories to the International Convention
for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and that are
not in compliance with all of the conservation and
management recommendations and agreements for
Atlantic bluefin tuna and other highly migratory
species that have been adopted by the Commission,
that those countries will immediately comply with
those recommendations and agreements;
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(3) the United States should continue to en-
courage all other countries that fish for Atlantic
bluefin tuna or other highly migratory species in the
Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea to comply
with the conservation and management recommenda-
tions and agreements adopted for those species by
the Commission;
(4) if a country fishes in the Atlantic Ocean or
the Mediterranean Sea for Atlantic bluefin tuna or
another highly migratory species without complying
with the conservation and management recommenda-
tions and agreements adopted by the Commission
for that species, such fishing will be considered by
the Congress to diminish the effectiveness of an
international fishery conservation program, and as
such will be considered by the Congress to be certifi-
able under section 8(a)(1) of the Fishermen’s Pro-
tective Act of 1967 (22 U.S.C. 1978(a)(1));
(5) the United States should encourage coun-
tries that have significant markets for Atlantic
bluefin tuna to prohibit the importation of that spe-
cies from other countries that fish for that species
without regard for the conservation and manage-
ment recommendations and agreements adopted by
the Commission;
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(6) the United States should continue to ex-
plore, through the Commission, the appropriateness
of working hypotheses of the Commission that stocks
of highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean
can be delineated by lines of latitude or longitude,
including specifically that there are 2 stocks of At-
lantic bluefin tuna delineated by the line 45 degrees
west longitude; and
(7) the United States should seek, through the
Commission, an agreement to ensure that if the
Commission uses any line to divide the stock of At-
lantic bluefin tuna for management purposes and
adopts for that stock any conservation and manage-
ment recommendation or agreement for one side of
the line that is more restrictive than the conserva-
tion and management recommendations and agree-
ments adopted by the Commission for that stock for
the other side of the line, then any fishing for Atlan-
tic bluefin tuna within 10 degrees of the line shall
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be conducted in compliance with that more restric-
tive recommendation or agreement.
Passed the House of Representatives November 2,
1993.
Attest:
Clerk.