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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2002
For additional information contact:
James Donofrio, Executive Director (609-294-3315)
RFA Supports Resolution Introduced by Congressmen Gilchrest, Jones, and Saxton Calling for Possible Trade Sanctions to Protect Atlantic Marlin Populations
Washington, D.C.-July 1, 2002-Citing the need to rebuild the Atlantic blue marlin and white marlin populations, Congressmen Wayne T. Gilchrest (R.-MD.), Walter B. Jones (R.-N.C.), and Jim Saxton (R.-N.J.) introduced a concurrent resolution (H.J. Res. 427) on June 26, 2002, that called on the President to direct the United States Commissioners to the International Commission for the Conservation of Tunas (ICCAT) to make Atlantic marlin conservation their highest priority. The resolution was referred to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives for consideration. The resolution expressed the sense of Congress that the President should make use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, relevant international laws and agreements, and other means, to ensure that Commission members comply with the conservation recommendations for all species under the Commission's management authority, including Atlantic marlin.
If the United States were not to take appropriate enforcement actions, including trade sanctions, according to the resolution, the United States would be engaged in “complicity in continued overfishing.”
The resolution calls on the President to encourage countries that fish in the Commission's regulatory area to make every effort to end illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing, including any fishing that is not in compliance with relevant conservation recommendations adopted by the Commission, especially with regard to Atlantic marlin mortality.
The resolution calls on the President to encourage the Commission to adopt conservation recommendations authorizing the use of enforceable measures, including World Trade Organization-consistent trade measures, to prevent nations from taking actions that would undermine the effectiveness of conservation recommendations of the Commission. Such measures could include the import embargo provisions in the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975 and certifiable under section 8(a)(1) of the Fisherman's Protective Act of 1967, according to the resolution.
“The Recreational Fishing Alliance strongly supports H.J. Res. 427 introduced by Congressmen Gilchrest, Jones, and Saxton,” said Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the Alliance. “The white marlin and blue marlin populations are continuing to decline rapidly and we must address this problem now before it's too late. There is too much pressure on these species, and this must be addressed by the ICCAT. Unfortunately, ICCAT has not stopped the overfishing of the marlin populations nor has it taken adequate steps to rebuild their stocks. We support trade sanctions to achieve results, either under the U.S. implementing legislation for ICCAT, or through other measures, if required,” he said.
“We have taken the first step in the organization of our efforts to assure the survival of the Atlantic marlin populations and protect the U.S. recreational fishing industry by engaging Bart S. Fisher, Esq., of the law firm of Bryan Cave LLP to analyze the legal options we have to eliminate the overfishing of marlin populations,” Donofrio said.
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