1999 

 OUR LIVING OCEANS 



Spotted spiny lobster, Car- 

 ibbean Sea. 



The United States shares important resoiuxes with its continental neii;iiht)rs. Several 

 groimdfish stocks in the Northeast Region are shared with Canada. Ahhongh there is no 

 forma! mechanism to manage these stocks jointi\', there is considerable interaction between 

 the two coimtries in terms of sharing knowledge and information and in conducting joint 

 assessments and reviews. In addition, the two cotuitries share a similar objective of main- 

 taining fishing mortality levels below the same threshold. Pacific halibtit represent an ex- 

 ample of a formal arrangement to assess and manage stocks shared by the U.S. and Canada 

 jointly through the International Pacific Halibtit C Commission. 



To the south, other valuable resources are shared with Mexico: Gulf of Mexico migra- 

 tory pelagics (mackerels) and Pacific Coast pelagics (mackerels, sardine, and anchovy), as 

 well as highly migratory stocks of tunas, swordfish, and sharks. No bilateral agreements are 

 yet in place for the assessment and management of these stocks, although the foundations 

 for these joint and multilateral agreements are being developed through MEXUS-Gulf and 

 MEXUS-Pacific bilateral discussions, as well as through Mexico's developing interest in 

 joining the international Commission for the (Conservation of Atlantic Timas (KXCAT). 



In the Atlantic, highly migratiiry bkiefin tima and swordfish fall under the jiuisdic- 

 tion of ICCAT Regulation of these partictilar species is difficult, since international con- 

 sensus on catch levels for these high-vakied fish is not always reached or agreed on. l-'iuther, 

 enacted measures must always be successfully enforced by all nations to be effective. Highly 

 migratory tuna and billfish also cross international borders in the Pacific, and some range 

 across the Pacific. While international exchange of scientific information has been histori- 

 cally good, progress on joint management has been slow. In the absence of cooperative 

 international management reeimes, most stocks are regulated bv individual coastal n.uions. 



In some cases, foreign fisheries targeting migrating U.S. -origin stocks outside the 

 U.S. EEZ can tmdermine Federal management of those stocks. Salmon on both the Atl.m- 

 tic and Pacific Coast begin life in freshwater and migrate to the open ocean to feed and 

 mature before returning to their natal streams to spawn. During this period, salmon are 

 subject to fishing pressure outside U.S. waters. Heavy exploitation of U.S. -origin Atlantic 

 salmon in the commercial fisheries off Newfoundland and Greenland has recently been 

 reduced through a (Canadian closure of the Newfoimdiand fisher\- and through measures 

 implemented b\- the North Atlantic Salmon (Conservation Organization, (^ff the Pacific 

 Coast, some U.S. -origin salmon are intercepted by Canadian fishermen while migrating 



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