1998 Year of the Ocean A Survey of International Agreements 



Treaty on Fisheries Between the Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the 

 Government of the United States of America, 1988; 

 South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988 (16 U.S.C 973-973r) 



This Treaty provides U.S. fishermen with the opportunity to fish within the exclusive 

 economic zones of some countries in the South Pacific region under agreed terms and conditions. 

 It prohibits U.S. flslieries of any kind (not only tuna) except in accordance with the agreement. 

 Only purse seine fishing for tunas is allowed. A separate economic assistance agreement between 

 the United States and the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) is associated with the 

 treaty. It calls upon the United States to pay 14 million dollars armually to the South Pacific 

 nations through the FFA. The treaty requires the U.S. tuna industry to pay $4 million annually, in 

 a lump sum, to the Pacific Island nations through the FFA. Nations party to the agreement 

 include Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, 

 Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, 

 Vanuatu. Western Samoa, and the United States. The treaty and the economic assistance 

 agreement entered into force on June 15, 1988. The treaty has no expiration date. The economic 

 assistance agreement was initially agreed to extend for a five-year period. In 1988, the treaty was 

 amended and the economic assistance agreement renegotiated and extended for an additional ten 

 years. 



Convention on Biological Diversity, Rio De Janeiro, 1992 



The Convention on Biological Diversity is the main international forum for addressing 

 biodiversity. Its three objectives are conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its 

 components, and a fair and equitable sharing of the benefits of genetic resources. This 

 Convention came into force in late 1993 and its Secretariat is located in Montreal. While the 

 United States signed the Convention in June 1993, it is not a party at this time. The Senate 

 Foreign Relations Committee favorably reported it to the full Senate in June 1 994, but concerns 

 related to domestic land use issues have stalled action on ratification. 



The next Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties will be in 

 Bratislava in May 1998. In November 1995, this body adopted the "Jakarta Mandate" on Marine 

 and Coastal Biodiversity. Work has proceeded slowly on five issues: integrated marine and 

 coastal area management, marine and coastal protected areas, sustainable use of coastal and 

 marine living resources, mariculture, and alien species. 



Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean, 1992; 

 North Pacific Anadromous Stocks Act of 1 992 (Title VIII of P.L. 1 02-567) 



The North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission serves as a forum for promoting the 

 conservation of anadromous stocks and ecologically related species, including marine mammals, 

 sea birds, and non-anadromous fish, in the high seas area of the North Pacific Ocean. In addition, 

 this Commission serves as the venue for coordinating the collection, exchange, and analysis of 

 scientific data regarding the above species within Convention waters. It also coordinates high 



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