APPENDIX VI APPENDIX VI 
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D. International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
After World War II there was a large increase in fishing for tuna 
in the Atlantic Ocean. More than 20 nations fish Atlantic tuna stocks 
and by 1960 many countries feared that some species and stocks of 
Atlantic tunas were being overfished. As a result in 1966 a Convention 
was signed and ratified by a number of nations. Present parties to the 
Convention include: Brazil, Canada, Cuba, France, Ghana, Ivory Coast, 
Japan, Republic of Korea, Morocco, Portugal, Senegal, South Africa, 
Spain, and the United States. 
The Commission has set up panels to study the populations of tuna 
and tuna-like species (Article IV). 
In addition, under Article VIII: 
"(a) The Commission may, on the basis of scientific evidence make 
recommendations designed to maintain the populations of tuna and 
tuna-like fishes that may be taken in the Convention area at levels 
which will permit the maximum sustainable catch." 
However, the application of these recommendations are not applicable 
to those parties indicating objections or reservations. 
With regard to our new Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 
1976, the following articles of the Convention are relevant: 
"Article I 
The area to which this Convention shall apply, hereinafter 
referred to as the 'Convention area,' shall be all waters of the 
Atlantic Ocean, including the adjacent Seas. 
Article II 
Nothing in this Convention shall be considered as affecting 
the rights, claims or views of any Contracting Party in regard to 
the limits of territorial waters or the extent of jurisdiction over 
fisheries under international law." 
Since Article I does not specifically define the term "Convention area," 
sanction of unilateral United States extension of fishery jurisdiction 
is explicit in Article II. However, a number of nations that are party 
to this treaty have Atlantic coasts, and have or are in the process of 
extending their own jurisdiction over fisheries. It is likely that, 
despite the fact that the ICCAT has no direct management functions 
per se, conflicts will result over the research function of the 
Commission. 
Within the Convention area, the yellowfin tuna catch has increased 
from 69,000 M.T. in 1964 to about 100,000 M.T. in 1974 and 1975. Accord- 
ing to the preliminary scientific evidence available, the maximum 
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