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The United States hosted the Third Conference in 

 Washington, November 18-20, 1991. The delegates noted 

 substantial catch declines from a peak of 1.4 million metric 

 tons in 1989 to approximately 260,000 metric tons at the end 

 of the third quarter of 1991. However, despite this and 

 additional evidence that a collapse of the Aleutian Basin 

 pollock stock was imminent, the fishing countries continued to 

 oppose the proposal for a moratorium on fishing in the area in 

 1992 All parties did agree that catch levels and fishing 

 effort should be reduced substantially in 1992. The distant 

 water fishing nations also agreed to some interim measures, 

 including the deployment and exchange of scientific observers 

 and the use of automatic satellite location transmitters on 

 fishing vessels. However, we expressed our grave 

 disappointment at the slow rate of progress on the issue and 

 criticized the fact that socio-economic considerations of some 

 participants were continuing to be put before those of 

 conservation of the resource. We also noted that the U.S. 

 would be prohibiting any fishery on the Aleutian Basin pollock 

 stock in the Bogoslof Island area within its 200 mile zone, 

 and, in light of this action, would expect all other countries 

 fishing in the central Bering Sea to take commensurate 

 conservation measures. The Soviet delegation noted that the 

 USSR was substantially reducing its fishing effort in its zone 

 for the purpose of conserving the pollock stock. With regard 

 to the U.S. proposal to establish an international convention 

 for the area which would address the conservation and 

 management needs of the fishery resources on a long-term 

 basis, the delegates considered additional proposals presented 

 by Poland and Japan, and agreed to participate in a drafting 

 group to develop a composite negotiating text for future 

 consideration. The U.S. offered to host the drafting group, 

 and the delegations agreed to meet again at a Fourth 

 Conference in the United States in 1992. 



The Fourth Conference met in Washington April 13-15, 

 1992. By this time all countries had become convinced that 

 there was a real conservation problem. The delegations 

 expressed concern about the continued decline of the pollock 

 resource in the area and noted substantial catch declines to a 

 total catch of 293,000 metric tons in 1991. They confirmed 

 the earlier understanding that catch levels and fishing effort 

 should be substantially reduced in 1992, but nothing further 

 was agreed. The U.S. described the drastic conservation 

 measures which had been taken in the U.S. zone because of the 

 depressed status of the pollock stock, including a prohibition 

 on directed fishing for this stock in the Bogoslof Island area 

 in the U.S. EEZ and steps aimed at prohibiting U.S. fishing 

 vessels from operating in the central Bering Sea. The U.S. 

 stated that it expected the directed fishery on Aleutian Basin 

 pollock in the U.S. zone would remain closed in 1993. Russia 

 noted that it had substantially reduced fishing effort in its 

 zone and would consider taking conservation actions, similar 

 to those taken by the United States, both within and beyond 

 its zone, provided that other countries ceased fishing in the 

 Donut Hole area. Japan noted that it would closely monitor 

 its fishery through daily vessel reports, and would consider 

 further conservation measures, including additional reductions 

 in its catch and effort level in the area in 1993. China, 

 Japan, Korea, and Poland expressed continued opposition to any 

 proposed moratorium or suspension of fishing. 



Japan noted that it was taking voluntary action to 

 decrease its fleet size by nearly 50 percent during 1992, and 

 stated that the overall catch quota for Japanese vessels would 

 not exceed 120,000 metric tons in 1992. Korea stated that it 

 would decrease its fleet from 41 to 31 vessels in 1992, and 

 indicated that it was considering the establishment of a catch 

 limit for pollock in 1992 that would not exceed the 1991 catch 

 level. China and Poland stated that they would further 

 voluntarily reduce their number of fishing days by 20 percent 



