IV
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 169
To express the sense of the Congress that the United States should seek
compliance by all countries with the conservation and management rec-
ommendations for Atlantic bluefin tuna adopted by the International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 20, 1993
Mr. STUDDS (for himself, Mr. MANTON, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. PALLONE,
Mr. SAXTON, and Ms. SNOWE) submitted the following concurrent resolu-
tion; which was referred to the Committee on Merchant Marine and
Fisheries
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To express the sense of the Congress that the United States
should seek compliance by all countries with the con-
servation and management recommendations for Atlantic
bluefin tuna adopted 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;
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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 45 degree line delineation is considered to be ar-
bitrary, and the extent to which each of the hypothesized
stocks migrates across the 45 degree line is unknown;
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-
•HCON 169 IH
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 are
having a negative impact on the recovery of Atlantic
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
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management of Atlantic bluefin tuna throughout the
Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea;
(2) the United States should obtain commit-
ments through the International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, 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 that have been adopted by the
Commission, that those countries will immediately
comply with those recommendations and agreements;
(3) if such a commitment is not obtained from
a country, or if a country continues to not comply
with those recommendations and agreements of the
Commission, fishing by that country for Atlantic
bluefin tuna 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 certifiable under section
8(a)(1) of the Fishermen’s Protective Act of 1967
(22 U.S.C. 1978(a)(1));
(4) the United States should continue to ex-
plore, through the Commission, the appropriateness
of the working hypothesis of the Commission that
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there are 2 stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna delineated
by the line 45 degrees west longitude;
(5) 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 conservation and management
recommendations for one side of the line that are
more restrictive than the conservation and manage-
ment recommendations adopted by the Commission
for the other side of the line, then any fishing for
Atlantic bluefin tuna within 10 degrees of the line
shall be conducted in compliance with those more re-
strictive recommendations;
(6) the United States should continue to en-
courage all countries that fish for Atlantic bluefin
tuna or other highly migratory species in the Atlan-
tic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea to become par-
ticipants in the International Convention for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and the Commission;
and
(7) if such participation by a country is not se-
cured, the continued fishing by the country without
regard for the conservation and management rec-
ommendations for Atlantic bluefin tuna that are
•HCON 169 IH
adopted by the Commission will be considered by the
Congress to diminish the effectiveness of an inter-
national fishery conservation program, and as such
will be considered by the Congress to be certifiable
under section 8(a)(1) of the Fishermen’s Protective
Act of 1967 (22 U.S.C. 1978(a)(1)).
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