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Coalition of United States 

 Bluefin Tuna User Groups 



maasureB for the eastarn Atlantic and Maditarranean bluafin 

 fisheries. Tha official U.S. policy should be published 60 

 days before the meeting. 



Tha 1992 ICCAT Infractions Conunittee found that contrary to 

 tha 1975 and 1981 ICCAT scientific advice, nations in tha 

 eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean did not implement 

 restrictions to cap fishing mortality or implement a 14 lb. 

 minimum size. In 1991 more than 7113 mt of bluefin under 

 the ICCAT 14 lb. minimum size was caught in the East (i.e., 

 veil over 2 million bluefin tuna are being caught annually 

 under the minisiim sice alone) . The eastern Atlantic and 

 Mediterranean fisheries now account for the most significant 

 part (over 88%) of the total catch of Atlantic bluefin. 



The Coalition believes that the 1993 policy must include a 

 strong recommendation to improve the bluefin tagging data 

 base to allow a better understanding of stoc)c structure. 

 Current estimates of intermixing may grossly underestimate 

 the real rate due to non-participation of nations that rim 

 the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic. There is 

 evidence that fishermen from certain eastern Atlantic and 

 Mediterranean nations now actively resist development of an 

 adequate tagging data base to avoid management restrictions. 



The Coalition urges that the State Department, U.S. Trade 

 Representative Office and NMFS immediately establish a Task 

 Force to determine points of leverage with European and 

 Mediterranean Sea countries (ICCAT Member and Non-Member 

 Nations alike) to achieve an agreement on conservation 

 measures in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas. 

 The Report of the Task Force should be available for review 

 by the U.S. ICCAT Advisory Committee prior to the November 

 meeting . 



ICCAT must take steps to eliminate reflagging of vessels to 

 avoid conservation measures and to eliminate substantial 

 bluefin catches by non-ICCAT member nations. We support the 

 attached joint resolution on the issue of reflagging. 



The Coalition recommends that the U.S.. federal ICCAT 

 Commissioner be a non-political appointment given the 

 substantive requirements of the job and the need for 

 continuity. The recreational and commercial ICCAT 

 Commissioners should be from the eastern portion of the 

 United States. 



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