Chapter IV — International 



certifications pursuant to the Pelly Amendment on 

 scientific research whaling that is contrary to the IWC 

 conservation program. 



At the end of 1991, the Marine Mammal Commis- 

 sion was looking forward to participating in efforts to 

 reassess U.S. policies and positions relative to the 

 IWC and its conservation program. 



High Seas Driftnet Fisheries 



The rapid growth of foreign high seas driftnet 

 fisheries over the past decade has been a source of 

 great concern to the United States and many other 

 countries. These fisheries, which began in the North 

 Pacific Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, are highly 

 efficient, large-scale operations; they are- also indis- 

 criminate in that they catch not only target species, 

 but all non-target species that do not fit through the 

 net mesh. 



Driftnets consist of gillnet segments about 50 

 meters in length that are strung together to make nets 

 that can be 60 kilometers long. Like curtains, the 

 nets float at or just below the water surface to a depth 

 of about 10 meters. Nets are usually deployed in the 

 evening, allowed to drift overnight, and retrieved the 

 following morning. At the peak fishing season in 

 recent years, some 850 fishing vessels from Japan, 

 Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea have deployed as 

 much as 40,000 kilometers of net nightly. 



The target species include neon flying squid taken 

 from April to December, salmon taken principally in 

 June and July, and albacore and billfish taken 

 throughout the year. In addition to target species, 

 driftnets incidentally catch non-target animals, includ- 

 ing many species of seabirds, marine mammals, sea 

 turtles, finfish, and sharks. Some of these species are 

 endangered or threatened. Of particular concern to 

 the United States are salmon, seabirds, sea turtles, and 

 marine mammals. 



Among the marine mammals taken by driftnet 

 fisheries in the North Pacific are Dall's porpoises, 

 northern right whale dolphins. Pacific white-sided 

 dolphins, common dolphins, striped dolphins, false 



killer whales, pilot whales, Cuvier's beaked whales, 

 North Pacific fur seals, elephant seals, and some large 

 whales. The large catch of some species, including 

 northern right whale dolphins and some seabirds, 

 raises concern that some populations may become 

 seriously depleted. Perhaps even more important, the 

 overall amount of biomass removed or killed, and the 

 possible depletion of populations of certain key 

 predator or prey species, raise serious questions about 

 impacts upon the structure and integrity of pelagic 

 marine ecosystems. 



Progress in addressing the driftnet issue has been 

 realized through a series of agreements negotiated 

 with Japan, Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea, and 

 through other international actions, including a num- 

 ber of resolutions adopted by the United Nations 

 General Assembly. These matters are discussed 

 below. 



United States Agreements with 



Japan, Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea 



In response to concerns about the effect of high 

 seas driftnet fisheries on salmon and other marine 

 resources of the United States, Congress passed the 

 Driftnet Impact Monitoring, Assessment, and Control 

 Act of 1987. The Act directs the Department of 

 Conmierce, through the Department of State, to 

 negotiate driftnet monitoring and enforcement agree- 

 ments with countries conducting high seas driftnet 

 fisheries that affect U.S. marine resources. The 

 required monitoring agreements must provide statisti- 

 cally reliable assessments of the numbers of each 

 species being killed by each nation's driftnet fleet. 



The Act also requires that, if a driftnet fishing 

 nation fails to enter into and implement an adequate 

 monitoring or enforcement agreement, the Secretary 

 of Commerce must certify that nation under the Pelly 

 Amendment to the Fishermen's Protective Act. 

 Certified nations may be subject to embargoes on 

 some or all fishery products imported into the United 

 States. The imposition of such sanctions is at the 

 discretion of the President. 



In response to this directive, driftnet monitoring 

 and enforcement agreements were negotiated with 



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