William T. Hogarth, director of NOAA’s Fisheries Service and the head of the U.S. Delegation to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, issued a statement about yesterday’s U.S. Senate resolution urging the U.S. delegation to advocate an international moratorium on bluefin tuna fishing in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. The House of Representatives passed a similar resolution on Tuesday urging ICCAT to adopt stronger conservation measures.
“As the U.S. Commissioner to ICCAT, I welcome these strong resolutions. The United States is committed to its leadership position on bluefin conservation but we cannot do it alone. We need international cooperation in the form of a moratorium to save this truly magnificent fish.
“Congress has again shown its commitment to promote effective fisheries management on a global scale as reflected in the new international provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006. I thank Congress for its continued support as we lead the effort to stop overfishing of bluefin tuna.â€
On the Web:
More on Bluefin Tuna: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/features/billscorner/index.htm
NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov
NOAA Fisheries: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov
