A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should promote the adoption of, and the United Nations should adopt, a resolution at its October meeting to protect the living resources of the high seas from destructive, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing practices.

        [Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 610 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

2d Session
S. RES. 610

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should
promote the adoption of, and the United Nations should adopt, a
resolution at its October meeting to protect the living resources of
the high seas from destructive, illegal, unreported, and unregulated
fishing practices.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 30 (legislative day, September 29), 2006

Mr. Stevens (for himself, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Warner, Ms.
Murkowski, Mr. Chafee, Mr. DeMint, Mr. McCain, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Collins,
Mr. Smith, Mr. Lautenberg, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Menendez, Ms.
Cantwell, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Lieberman, Mr.
Kerry, and Mrs. Feinstein) submitted the following resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

December 6, 2006

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should
promote the adoption of, and the United Nations should adopt, a
resolution at its October meeting to protect the living resources of
the high seas from destructive, illegal, unreported, and unregulated
fishing practices.

Whereas it is of paramount importance to the United States and all
nations to ensure the protection, conservation, and
sustainable management of high seas living marine
resources;
Whereas fisheries of the high seas annually generate hundreds of
millions of dollars in economic activity and support
thousands of jobs in the United States and its territories
as well as nations throughout the world;
Whereas the high seas constitute a globally significant reservoir
of marine biodiversity, and compounds derived from
organisms found on the high seas show promise for the
treatment of deadly diseases such as cancer and asthma;
Whereas the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
reports that a growing number of high seas fish stocks
important to the United States and the world are overfished
or depleted;
Whereas the United Nations has called for urgent action to address
the impact of high seas fishing practices that have adverse
impacts on vulnerable marine species and habitats;
Whereas destructive, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
by vessels flying non-United States flags threatens high
seas fisheries and the habitats that support them;
Whereas nations whose fleets conduct destructive, illegal,
unreported, and unregulated high seas fishing enjoy an
unfair competitive advantage over United States fishermen,
who must comply with the rigorous conservation and
management requirements of the Magnuson Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act and other laws in order to
conserve exhaustible natural resources; and
Whereas international cooperation is necessary to address
destructive, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
which harms the sustainability of high seas living marine
resources and the United States fishing industry: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the United States should continue to demonstrate
international leadership and responsibility regarding the
conservation and sustainable use of high seas living marine
resources by vigorously promoting the adoption of a resolution
at this year's 61st session of the United Nations General
Assembly calling on all nations to protect vulnerable marine
habitats by prohibiting their vessels from engaging in
destructive fishing activity in areas of the high seas where
there are no applicable conservation or management measures or
in areas with no applicable international fishery management
organization or agreement, until such time as conservation and
management measures consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act,
the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement, and other relevant
instruments are adopted and implemented to regulate such
vessels and fisheries; and
(2) the United States calls upon the member nations of the
United Nations to adopt a resolution at its October meeting to
protect the living resources of the high seas from destructive,
illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing practices.
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