41 



ested in doing anything at the United Nations that would detract 

 from that agreement. 



I think the United Nations process has the potential to enhance 

 the U.S. position in the Donut Hole. And I think that will emerge 

 over time. 



With respect to the NAFO and Sea of Okhotsk issues, although 

 I have very little expertise in either of those areas, I think the 

 point has to be made that if the United States is going to have fish- 

 ing vessels in a region that is covered by a regional management 

 organization, it is incumbent upon us to join that organization. For 

 us not to do so completely undermines the U.S. leadership and our 

 ability to encourage other states to impose strict controls on their 

 vessels, and ensure that their vessels comply with the management 

 requirements that have been established in that region. 



So, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 



[The prepared statement of Ms. Speer follows:] 



Prepared Statement of Lisa Speer 



My name is Lisa Speer. I am senior policy analyst with the Natural Resources 

 Defense Council, a national environmental organization dedicated to the protection 

 of natural resources and public health. My testimony today is on behalf of the World 

 Wildlife Fund, the National Audubon Society, and Greenpeace. 



THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON STRADDLING FISH STOCKS AND HIGHLY 



migratory FISH STOCKS 



Under existing international law, individual nations have jurisdiction over fish 

 within their 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). However, fish do not re- 

 spect political boundaries and many species occur both within the 200 mile limit 

 and beyond it in international waters. These fish include highly migratory species 

 like tuna, swordfish, marlin, and other billfish, as well as so-called straddling stocks 

 that straddle the boundary between domestic and international waters. In addition, 

 a few commercially important fish occur exclusively on the high seas. 



Unfortunately, there are no effective international standards governing how na- 

 tions must collectively and individually manage these species. As a result, manage- 

 ment regimes for these fish have often failed to prevent overfishing, destructive fish- 

 ing practices and drastic depletion. Some areas of the ocean with active fisheries 

 for straddling and highly migratory populations lack any management regime at all. 



Global fishing pressure on commercially valuable straddling and highly migratory 

 species has escalated rapidly in the last decade to the point where most are fully 

 fished or over-exploited, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Or- 

 ganization (FAO). The pressure on these fish mirrors a broader context of 

 overfishing worldwide: thirteen of FAO's seventeen major global fishing regions are 

 seriously depleted or declining, and the overall global marine catch has fallen by 4 

 million tons from its peak of 86.5 million tons in 1989. In April, FAO warned: 



Unless industrial fishing fleets are controlled through national and inter- 

 national regulation, * ♦ * disastrous social and economic consequences await 

 the entire industry, including food shortages in the coastal communities of de- 

 veloping countries where seafood provides the major source of dietary protein 

 and minerals as well as jobs. i 



Developed countries are not immune from the consequences of overfishing of these 

 species. For example, excessive harvest of northern cod, a straddling population, 

 both within the Canadian zone and outside it by foreign fleets contributed to the 

 collapse and subsequent closure of the northern cod fishery within Canada's EEZ. 

 Some 20,000 to 40,000 jobs were lost and entire coastal communities disrupted. The 

 recovery of the fishery is not expected until well into the next century. 



Increasing competition for these fish, rapidly advancing technology, and increas- 

 ingly mobile fleets make the need for an effective international regime urgent. 



iFAO, 1994. News release dated April 13, 1994. 



