Chapter IV — International 



met early in November with Japanese representatives 

 to discuss a moratorium of indefinite duration, rather 

 than an outright ban on high seas driftnets, that could 

 be phased in by the end of 1992. On 26 November 

 1991, the Japanese announced that they would cease 

 high seas driftnet fishing by the end of 1992. On the 

 same date, the Department of State announced that 

 Japan and the United States had agreed to support a 

 moratorium to accomplish this. 



On 20 December 1991, the United Nations General 

 Assembly adopted by consensus Resolution 46/215 

 entitled "Large-scale pelagic drift-net fishing and its 

 impact on living marine resources of the world's 

 oceans and seas." The resolution, cosponsored by the 

 United States, Japan, and 28 other nations, calls on all 

 members of the international community to: (1) by 30 

 June 1992, reduce driftnet fishing effort by 50 percent 

 through measures such as reducing the number of 

 vessels, length of net deployed, and area of operation; 

 (2) continue to ensure that driftnet fisheries are not 

 expanded into new areas; and (3) ensure that a global 

 moratorium on large-scale high seas driftnet fishing in 

 all of the world's oceans and seas is fully implement- 

 ed by 31 December 1992. 



The Wellington Convention — As reported in the 

 previous Annual Report, concern for the effect of 

 large-scale driftnet fisheries on South Pacific albacore 

 stocks culminated in the adoption of the Convention 

 for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in 

 the South Pacific. The Convention, more commonly 

 known as the Wellington Convention, was adopted on 

 29 November 1989 by South Pacific countries and 

 territories. The Convention provides for collecting, 

 preparing, and disseminating information as well as 

 facilitating scientific analyses and the preparation of 

 annual reports on driftnet activity in the convention 

 area. To address the need for a mechanism by which 

 states outside the Convention area could accept legally 

 binding obligations with respect to driftnet fishing in 

 the South Pacific, two protocols were prepared. 

 Protocol I prohibits driftnet fishing by all nations and 

 seeks development of conservation measures for South 

 Pacific albacore within the Convention Area. Proto- 

 col n prohibits driftnet fishing in waters under the 

 jurisdiction of Pacific Rim countries. 



The Convention entered into force on 17 May 

 1991. The United States, which had signed the 

 Wellington Convention on 14 November 1990, 

 ratified it on 3 December 1991. On 26 February 

 1991, the United States also signed Protocol I. The 

 United States did not sign Protocol n because doing 

 so would have been inconsistent with current U.S. 

 obligations under the International Convention for the 

 High Seas Fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean, 

 which allows Japan to conduct a salmon driftnet 

 fishery in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone subject 

 to U.S. law. 



European Economic Community Actions — On 



28 October 1991, members of the European Commu- 

 nity Council of Fisheries Ministers met in Brussels to 

 discuss, among other things, the conservation of 

 European fisheries resources. In particular, Council 

 members discussed technical measures relative to 

 continuing large-scale driftnet fisheries operated by 

 member nations. In November 1991, Council mem- 

 bers adopted measures that would phase out large- 

 scale high seas driftnet fishing by 31 December 1993. 

 At the end of 1991, the United States was studying the 

 Council's decision with respect to its conformance 

 with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 

 46/215. 



South Paciflc Conference Resolution on Driftnets 



— On 31 October 1991, the South Pacific Conference 

 adopted a resolution that reaffirmed its full support for 

 United Nations General Assembly Resolutions 44/225 

 and 45/197; called upon eligible nations to sign and 

 ratify the 1990 Convention for the Prohibition of 

 Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific and 

 its two protocols; and expressed fiill support for 

 efforts in the 46th session of the United Nations 

 General Assembly aimed at ending large-scale high 

 seas driftnet fishing by 30 June 1992. 



Second-Order Effects of Large-Scale High-Seas 

 Driftnet Fisheries on the North Pacific Marine Eco- 

 system — Since 1989, the Marine Mammal Commis- 

 sion has stressed the importance of focusing attention 

 upon the ecological effects of high seas driftnet 

 fisheries as well as on its effects on individual species. 

 When scientists from Canada, Japan, Republic of 

 Korean, Taiwan, the United States, and other North 

 Pacific rim countries met in Sidney, British Columbia, 



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