IV
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 344
To express the sense of the Congress regarding North Atlantic swordfish
and other highly migratory species of fish.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 8, 1998
Mr. PALLONE submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Resources
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To express the sense of the Congress regarding North
Atlantic swordfish and other highly migratory species of fish.
Whereas North Atlantic swordfish were caught on a sustain-
able basis for nearly 150 years using harpoons and rod
and reel gear;
Whereas North Atlantic swordfish populations have fallen
nearly 70 percent following the introduction of longline
fishing gear in 1963;
Whereas North Atlantic swordfish populations are at only 58
percent of levels needed to achieve the maximum sustain-
able yield—the management goal level mandated by both
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Man-
agement Act and the International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas;
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Whereas domestic management measures of the United
States and international management measures of the
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlan-
tic Tunas have failed to manage North Atlantic swordfish
populations on a sustainable basis;
Whereas the bycatch from commercial longline and driftnet
gear in the North Atlantic swordfish fishery constitutes
a grave threat to the biological health of swordfish and
other highly migratory species;
Whereas the average size of a commercially caught North At-
lantic swordfish has fallen from 266 pounds in 1963 to
just 90 pounds in 1996;
Whereas nearly 2 of 3 North Atlantic swordfish now caught
in the United States commercial swordfish fishery are ju-
veniles caught before they are capable of spawning;
Whereas longline fishing gear captures 98 percent of the
swordfish taken in the North Atlantic United States
swordfish fishery; and
Whereas the International Commission for the Conservation
of Atlantic Tunas scientific body has recommended that
overall fishing mortality be significantly reduced to re-
build depleted populations of North Atlantic swordfish
and other highly migratory species: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) the National Marine Fisheries Service
should implement such management measures as
will restore populations of North Atlantic swordfish
•HCON 344 IH
to levels mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act within 7 years;
(2) to rebuild depleted North Atlantic swordfish
populations within 7 years, appropriate Federal
agencies should take action to establish a bycatch re-
duction framework, including a timeframe and ref-
erence points, to reduce the bycatch of North Atlan-
tic swordfish and other highly migratory species of
fish by 75 percent in the directed commercial sword-
fish fishery by 2005 through the implementation of
appropriate management and conservation measures,
with 50 percent of this reduction occurring in the
first 2 years;
(3) dead North Atlantic swordfish and all other
highly migratory species discarded as a result of
commercial fishing activities should be counted
against species-specific quotas of the United States
established as a result of domestic regulation or
international fishery management agreements;
(4) species-specific bycatch limits should be es-
tablished by the United States for North Atlantic
swordfish and all other highly migratory species,
that, if exceeded, trigger predetermined regulatory
actions having as their sole purpose the conservation
of highly migratory species;
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(5) time and area closures for longline and
driftnet gear should be utilized for known nursery
areas, spawning grounds, and other areas with high
concentrations of commercial bycatch of North At-
lantic swordfish and other highly migratory species
to reduce its associated mortality;
(6) longlines intended for use in the exclusive
economic zone of the United States or by United
States fishing vessels should be limited to not more
than 10 standard highway miles in overall length to
reduce the bycatch and associated mortality of
North Atlantic swordfish and other highly migratory
species;
(7) the use of longlines should be prohibited in
the exclusive economic zone of the United States or
by United States fishing vessels for more than 6
consecutive hours without retrieving the longlines, to
reduce harmful levels of bycatch mortality associated
with the bycatch of highly migratory species;
(8) additional fishing gear and technique modi-
fications should be required as necessary to accom-
plish needed bycatch reduction goals for swordfish
and other highly migratory species;
(9) domestic observer coverage should be in-
creased to not less that 50 percent of all pelagic
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longline and driftnet vessels pursuing highly migra-
tory species in United States waters;
(10) representatives of the United States should
aggressively pursue complementary international
conservation and management measures for highly
migratory 
species, 
including 
meaningful 
inter-
national enforcement and compliance measures, be-
ginning at the 1999 International Commission for
the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas regular meeting
and during the course of other international fishery
discussions and negotiations; and
(11) if conservation and management goals are
not adequately met in the final fisheries manage-
ment plan for highly migratory species, the Congress
should seek to enact such restrictions and conserva-
tion measures as are necessary to ensure that the
policies expressed in this concurrent resolution are
met in the most expeditious manner possible.
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