- 7i 



interest. The Aqroeinent itself Flakes few irananenent 

 decisions regarding these resources. It requires that 

 total allowable catches be established annually based on 

 the best scientific information available. It vests one 

 country, the otlier, or both v;i th exclusive or frinaiy 

 manaqoment responsibility for each stock covered. And it 

 contains percentaoe shares to be a[ plied to the annual 

 tag's to deterr.ine the amount each country n^.ay fish. 



Beyond these basic provisior\s, the Agreement leaves 

 the development of specific m:anageinent programs to the 

 country v.ith exclusive or primary management responsibility, 

 or to tioth countries in the case of four stocks. These 

 proqrajTis v/ould be developed in accordance with the Agree- 

 ment's managem.ent principles which are patterned after the 

 national standards for fishery management contained in the 

 Fishery Conservation and ^.anagement Act of 1976. In the 

 case of stocks managed p^rimarily by one country and those 

 managed jointly, the Aoreement provides for dispute resolu- 

 tion to guard agairist the possibility that deadlock may 

 leave the stocks unprotected. 



The impact of this management framework on the 

 biological environment v\ould be beneficial. Currently, the 

 United States and Canada undertake independently to manage 

 many stocks fished by both. For some, one country has 



