84 



Sport Fishing Institute 



1010 Massachusetts Ave.. N.W.. Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 898-0770, Fax (202) 371-2085 



DIRECTORS 



HELEN SEVIER 



HAMHAMBERCEK 



November 1, 1993 



The Honorable Thomas J. Hanton, Chairman 

 Subcommittee on Fisheries Management 

 Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 

 513 Ford House Office Building 

 Washington, DC 20515 



PETER HENNING 

 mo Molding Company 



LAURIN M BAKER 



KENNETH HAMMOND 



DAVID lONES 



Fondd7ljc, w' 



RICHARD KOTIS 



Km. OH 



rEn= NAPIER 



lAMES D RANGE 



WJmJiglon'DE 



lASON SAUEl 



FUmb«au Producls Corp 



EDDIE SMITH IR 



WILUAM STEINER 



Diiwa Corpoiai.on 



CrdtnCrovj CA 



DONALD I STURDEVANT 



MICHAEL WANINGER 



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RONALD W WEBER 



Dear Chairman Manton: 



The Sport Fishing Institute (SFI) is pleased to 

 provide this testimony on reauthorization of the Atlantic 

 Tuna Conventions Act (ATCA) . Since 1949, SFI has served 

 the fisheries conservation needs of the $24 billion sport 

 fishing industry and over 50 million American anglers. 



For over two decades, the conservation community has 

 watched as one of the most majestic fishes to swim our 

 oceans has slowly succumbed to the pressures of intense 

 exploitation. Despite conservation measures offered by 

 the International Commission for the Conservation of 

 Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) , the western Atlantic bluefin tuna, 

 renowned for its fighting ability and delicate tasting 

 flesh, continues its race towards oblivion. Now, ICCAT' s 

 Standing Committee on Research and Statistics tells us 

 that even halving the bluefin quota will not result in 

 stock recovery, and in fact will only provide a 50-50 

 chance of halting stock decline. Our current road runs 

 straight ahead to stock collapse and an abrupt end for a 

 recreational ly and commercially valuable fishery. 



The United States has not been tremendously 

 successful in dealings with ICCAT regrading the western 

 Atlantic bluefin tuna. As a minor fishing nation with 

 respect to all species covered by ICCAT, the U.S. does 

 not have great influence in ICCAT deliberations. The 

 U.S. does not link fishery issues to foreign policy to 

 the extent that some other ICCAT members do. The net 

 result within ICCAT is the U.S. must face ad hoc 

 coalition of nations who place greater importance on 

 fishery issues. It would take vigorous U.S. effort and 

 leadership to become a major influence on ICCAT 

 deliberations. 



The entire problem does not lie with ICCAT. The 

 U.S. delegation (commissioners and advisory committee) 

 has not always been responsive to national interests. 



NORVILLES PROSSER 



FISHERMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD RECIPIENTS: PrtsidenI G.orgt Bush. 1986 • Senator Malcolm Wallop i 

 John Br»aux 1987 • Franl DunkJe 1088 • Ray Scon. 1989 • Gtneral Oluck Ytagtr, 1990 • Crnl Gowdy, 1991 • John L M 

 f. Dalf RobCTson. 1993 



