69 



T&M.J^ovitt of i^fpre0enta(ibe£ 



Committer on 



iilercbAnt illortnt anli Jf iiijtrits 



tHoom 1334, longtasrtt ilfantt 4>f>irr Vuilbina 

 IHubiniiton. SC 20515-6230 



Octeb*r 7, 1993 



The Honurabl* Ronald H. Brown 

 Th* Sftcrfttary of Comnaroe 

 Main Conaaroa Building 

 Rooa S8S4 

 Waahington, DC 30230 



Oaar Mr. Svcratary: 



The Zntcrnatienal Conraiaaion tor tha Conaarvation of Atlantln 

 Tunaa (XCCAT) will maat naxt nonth to ravlaw fcha nost raoant 

 seiantlfie aaaaBaaant of Atlantic bluafin tuna atoeka and daclde 

 whather any ohaz^^aa to tba ourrant mana^amant prograa are 

 neoaaaary. With tha goal of proooting continuad oonaarvation of 

 Atlantic bluafin tuna in nlnd, wa want to bring to your attantion 

 an inportant policy iaaua that deaarvaa to be ttonaidered by 

 ICCAT. 



The unitad Stataa haa Ion? baan a leadar In tna purauit of 

 conaarvation prograaa within tha xccAT forum. As a raault, 

 •ignifieant nanaganan^ aaaauraa hav«i baan laplanantad ovt tha 

 paat 12 yaara ragulatiag bluafin flahariaa in tha Waatarn 

 Atlantic fishing grounda. For ayampla, ainba 3.98 1| oatohoo by 

 U.S.. Canadian, and Japanaaa fiahaman in tha waatarn Atlantic 

 hava baan raducad by 68%. In addition, spawning blu«fin tuna 

 hava baan providad aubiitantial prutaction fron dlrectad fishing 

 whila in tha Waatarn Atlantic, all bluafin undar 66 pounda ara 

 protaoted by a raatriotiva quota, and thara is a 34 pound mlniaun 

 lagal aiza. All of thaaa aaaauraa hav* raquirad aubacantial 

 sacrifiob on tha part uf U.S. flaharaan, but wa hava aupportad 

 than aa nacasaary for tha long-tern conaarvation and nana^aaant 

 of the resourca. 



He baliava, however, that our conaarvation afforte are being 

 undernlnad by virtually unchecked fishing for bluefin tuna in tha 

 Eastern Atlantic and Maditarranaan. The tima has ooaa for tha 

 U.S. to take the lead in praaaing for Strong oonaervation 

 aaaaures in theae araaa. During th« ••ma pariod that Haarern ' 



