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Skriven 2005-05-16 23:40:44 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0505166) for Mon, 2005 May 16
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Message to the United States Senate Regarding Antigua Convention
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 16, 2005

Message to the United States Senate Regarding Antigua Convention



TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to
ratification, I transmit herewith the Convention for the Strengthening of
the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission established by the 1949
Convention between the United States of America and the Republic of Costa
Rica, with Annexes, (the "Antigua Convention"), which was adopted on June
27, 2003, in Antigua, Guatemala, by the Parties to the 1949 Convention. The
United States signed the Antigua Convention on November 14, 2003. I also
transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Secretary of
State with respect to the Antigua Convention, with an enclosure.

The Antigua Convention sets forth the legal obligations and establishes the
cooperative mechanisms necessary for the long term conservation and
sustainable use of the highly migratory fish stocks (such as tuna and
swordfish) of the Eastern Pacific Ocean that range across extensive areas
of the high seas as well as through waters under the fisheries jurisdiction
of numerous coastal States. Once in force, the Antigua Convention will
replace the original 1949 Convention establishing the Inter-American
Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). Revisions to the 1949 Convention will
strengthen the mandate of the IATTC to reflect changes in the law governing
living marine resources since the adoption of the original Convention more
than 50 years ago.

The highly migratory fish stocks governed by the Antigua Convention
constitute an important economic resource for the countries of the region
and vital components of the marine ecosystem of the Eastern Pacific Ocean
requiring careful conservation and management. Early entry into force and
implementation of the Antigua Convention will offer the opportunity to
strengthen conservation and management of these resources in important
ways, including through enhanced efforts to ensure compliance and
enforcement of agreed conservation and management measures.

The Antigua Convention draws upon relevant provisions of the 1982 United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the "LOS Convention") and the
1995 United Nations Agreement on the Conservation and Management of
Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (the "U.N. Fish
Stocks Agreement"). The Antigua Convention gives effect to the provisions
of the LOS Convention and U.N. Fish Stocks Agreement that recognize as
essential, and require cooperation to conserve highly migratory fish stocks
through regional fishery management organizations, by those with direct
interests in them - coastal States with authority to manage fishing in
waters under their jurisdiction and those nations and entities whose
vessels fish for these stocks.

The United States, which played an instrumental role in negotiation of the
revised Convention, has direct and important interests in the Antigua
Convention and its early and effective implementation. United States
fishing concerns, including the U.S. tuna industry, U.S. conservation
organizations, and U.S. consumers, as well as those people who reside in
those U.S. States bordering the Convention Area, have crucial stakes in the
health of the oceans and their resources as promoted by the Antigua
Convention.

I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the
Antigua Convention and give its advice and consent to ratification.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

May 16, 2005.

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