United States of a contiguous fisheries jurisdiction zone extending 9 

 miles beyond the 3-mile territorial sea, provides certain limited 

 privileges within this zone for fishing and cargo-transfer operations 

 by Japanese vessels, in return for which Japan agrees to certain 

 limitations on its fishing activities on the high seas outside the zone. 

 In an understanding related to the review of this latter agreement, 

 Japan also agreed not to undertake specific fisheries for lobster off 

 our Atlantic coast and agreed to attempt to minimize the incidental 

 catch of lobster. 



Similar bilateral agreements with the Soviet Union were review- 

 ed in February 1973. The new versions of the US-USSR North Pacific 

 agreements include substantial conservation improvements from 

 the U.S. point of view, especially limits to the Soviet catch of certain 

 species. The two countries also negotiated and signed a new agree- 

 ment initially applicable to the northeastern Pacific Ocean. It 

 provides for consideration of claims resulting from damage to 

 fishing vessels or gear during fishing operations of the two countries 

 by claims boards with joint membership. The boards will consider 

 claims voluntarily submitted by either side and will seek 

 conciliation through fact finding. Judicial rights of U.S. and Soviet 

 nationals remain unaffected. The countries adopted a set of interim 

 rules to govern the conduct of fishing and prevent conflicts until 

 further negotiations. 



Renegotiation of the Mid-Atlantic bilateral fisheries agreement 

 with the USSR was initiated at a meeting in Moscow in February 

 1973. Most matters were resolved successfully. However, because it 

 was not possible to reach agreement on two points, it was decided to 

 extend the existing agreement through June 30, 1973, and to meet 

 then to conclude the renegotiation. 



The Soviets made it clear that they had no plans to initiate a 

 lobster fishery and would take measures to reduce incidental catches 

 of lobster and to return to the sea in a viable condition all lobster 

 taken incidentally, insofar as possible. This commitment, among 

 others from the USSR, is contingent upon resolution of the remaining 

 Mid-Atlantic fishery issues at the meeting in June 1973. 



A similar Mid-Atlantic bilateral fisheries agreement with Poland 

 was extended on October 1, 1972, through June 30, 1973. It provides 

 protection for species of interest to U.S. fishermen. 



The five-year agreement with Mexico on reciprocal traditional 

 fishing privileges within the 9- to 12-mile zone off both countries 

 terminated at the end of 1972 without immediate prospect of 

 renewal. The U.S. shrimp catch in this area, however, had accounted 

 for only a minor portion of the total U.S. shrimp catch. 



Although the United States was unable to bring about a 

 moratorium on whaling, it did effect changes in the International 

 Whaling Commission's conservation program. At the 1972 meeting 

 of the International Whaling Commission, the United States 

 delegation made strenuous efforts to obtain agreement on a blanket 

 moratorium on commercial whaling. These efforts were consistent 

 with domestic actions to prohibit commercial whaling by U.S. 



520-810 O - 73 



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