36 



We almost had it, once. To Lloyd Cutler's great credit, he almost 

 had the agreement up there, and it fell down because of the overall 

 negotiations over the Beaufort Sea and Dixon Entrance. All three 

 were tied together, and when one fell, they all fell. I think we 

 should emphasize the protection for the agreements we have as we 

 go into this new concept of a binding agreement for the areas 

 where we do not have protection. Obviously, I would not like to sac- 

 rifice current protections of the Bering Sea in particular. That is 

 my primary concern. 



I do thank you all, though. I think you are doing a good job, and 

 I am hopeful that we can find some way to deal with the issues 

 about the Law of the Sea. I would like to be able to support the 

 Law of the Sea Convention, but I have not decided yet whether I 

 can from what I am hearing about the tribunals and how they 

 could impact the existing agreements that we rely on so greatly in 

 the Pacific area. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Senator Kerry. Thank you very much. Senator Stevens. 



Mr. Ambassador, the ICCAT continues to present some problems. 

 Since Mexico is not a party and it continues to transship tuna, how 

 will the FAO agreement address this? Where will we go? 



Ambassador CoLSON. Well, the reflagging agreement really does 

 not touch on the trade issues at all. Of course, Mexico is going 

 through a change, an election period now and a new government 

 will be elected, but we have made substantial progress in getting 

 the Mexican Government to give serious consideration to joining 

 ICCAT, and we are very close, I think, and if we can continue in 

 the next administration the cooperation that we have had with 

 them, I would expect them to join ICCAT very shortly, but since 

 Will is going to be one of the new ICCAT commissioners, maybe he 

 would like to say a word or two. 



Mr. Martin. Well, I think that you have stated it very, very ac- 

 curately, David. The document that we are referring to today is the 

 U.N. Conference on Straddling Stocks and Highly Migratory Spe- 

 cies. It may help us a bit there, too, Senator. It hopefully in the 

 end will require that for a nation to participate in a fishery like 

 the bluefin tuna, it must either join the ICCAT — in this case the 

 regional fishery organization — or it must comply with its rules. So, 

 this is going to be a focus that we will make not only within that 

 U.N. conference negotiation, but also within ICCAT — to require all 

 nations fishing for bluefin tuna to join ICCAT or comply with its 

 conservation measures. 



Senator Kerry. Let me just follow up. What is the status of our 

 policy goal to end the commercial fishery for North Atlantic salm- 

 on? 



Ambassador Colson. Atlantic salmon? 



Senator Kerry. Yes. 



Ambassador Colson. Last year, we worked very closely with the 

 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to put together a deal that 

 essentially bought out the Greenland fishery for a 2-year period. 

 This was put together with both private money and some money 

 we were able to pull together at the State Department to provide 

 both a study forum for working with the Greenland Native 

 groups — this is entirely a Greenland Native people's fishery in 



