23 



getting a little better shake, instead of having to play the way that 

 we mentioned. 



Mr. Coble. Thank you, sir. 



Let me ask one more question, Mr. Chairman, if I may. 



Mr. Manton. Sure. 



Mr. Coble. How can the United States better assert its leader- 

 ship in ICCAT, question number one? And question number two, do 

 you think this would be a proper role for the United States to 

 pursue? From anybody. 



Ms. Foster. For the United States to pursue a leadership role? 



Mr. Coble. Yes. 



Ms. Foster. Yes. I think it would be 



Mr. Coble. Then I come to how we can better do it. 



Ms. Foster. I think it would be a proper role, because as you 

 have heard pointed out here, we have taken 



Mr. Coble. That wasn't my problem. I probably didn't hear it be- 

 cause this may have been discussed when I was away, and for that 

 I apologize. 



Ms. Foster. I think that we are an appropriate party to take a 

 lead role because our fishermen have played by the rules that we 

 have set forth, and we have taken the leadership in being conserva- 

 tion oriented and trying to be responsive. Sort of like that laundry 

 list that you have heard all of us go through, becoming more ag- 

 gressive again in ICCAT meetings, getting our commissioners ready 

 to do that within ICCAT, using powers of persuasion like you see in 

 all international bodies like this, going from country to country, ac- 

 tually trying to effect an outcome, using some of these tools that 

 you have heard, or threatening to use some of these tools that you 

 have heard discussed, like the embargo provision and Pelly. 



Mr. Coble. Yes, sir. Thank you. 



Mr. Hesse. Eric Hesse. I am not sure whether you were here for 

 this or not. I do support the United States taking a lead role in 

 ICCAT, especially in terms of pressuring other nations to abide by 

 the conservation agreements reached in 1975, that is, to cap mor- 

 tality levels and fishing effort at the levels they were at at that 

 date. In effect, instead, the eastern Atlantic countries in the light 

 blue on the graph here have increased their catches since 1975 by 

 42 percent while we have taken a 65 percent reduction. Clearly, I 

 don't think the United States should continue to try to take a lead 

 role by making its own fishermen sacrifice by way of example, and 

 that includes another 50 percent reduction this year. 



We have taken these conservation sacrifices and now we are 

 faced with yet another 50 percent reduction. If this is the reward 

 that U.S. fishermen take for their conservation sacrifices, then I 

 don't blame these other nations for saying, we are not going to 

 listen and we are not going to take conservation sacrifices. 



We need to put pressure on these nations' trade restrictions, or 

 whatever other means are at our control. I do think the United 

 States has a lead role in conservation of Atlantic tunas and we 

 have certainly shown that through our fishery. 



Mr. Coble. Thank you. Yes, sir. My time has expired, but go 

 ahead if the chairman will give me one more minute or two. 



Mr. Manton. Without objection, the gentleman shall have an- 

 other minute. 



