Historic Pacific Ocean Tuna-Dolphin Agreement

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

TWELVE NATIONS CONCLUDE HISTORIC EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN TUNA-
DOLPHIN AGREEMENT

Washington, D.C., February 9, 1998 -- Twelve nations meeting in
La Jolla, California, concluded negotiations early Saturday
morning, February 7, 1998, on a legally binding tuna-dolphin
fisheries conservation agreement.  Unlike most international
agreements, this new regime does not allow any legal
reservations or objections to its provisions, including the core
objective of  "progressively reducing.[and] eliminating dolphin
mortality."

"This new tuna-dolphin agreement obligates, for the first time,
countries like Mexico, Venezuela, the U.S., Ecuador and Spain to
adhere to a common set of rules providing greater protections
for dolphins and other marine species in the Eastern Pacific
Ocean (EPO) fishery," said Gerry Leape, Greenpeace U.S.
fisheries campaigner.  "Effective implementation and enforcement
will be critical," added Leape, "but the agreement is another
step in the right direction, requiring a precautionary and
conservationist approach to fisheries management that will apply
to everyone fishing in that region."

The precedent setting agreement includes a mandate requiring all
countries to avoid, minimize and reduce the catch of non-target
species such  as dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, billfish and
juvenile tuna.  In this regard, it is the first international
bycatch reduction program.  Other  provisions include precedent
setting provisions requiring 100%  independent observer coverage
on boats wishing to fish in the fishery.  

In addition, the Parties adopted a series of incentives and
penalties for individual boats and countries to ensure that
dolphin deaths remain below the limit of 5,000 each year.  Each
boat fishing in the fishery will be required to abide by strict
limits on dolphin mortalities, with sanctions for exceeding
those limits or for violating crew training, equipment, gear use
and other operational requirements.   If dolphin mortality limit
were to increase by 20% over a previous fishing season, the
parties are required to take the necessary steps to more
strictly control dolphin mortalities.

"Ideally, we would have preferred a schedule ratcheting down
dolphin mortalities on an annual basis," said Leape.  "However,
if the  agreement is aggressively  implemented and strengthened
over time, we  expect that dolphin deaths will continue to
decline."

The new La Jolla Agreement builds on the U.S. International
Dolphin Conservation Program Act (Public Law 105-42) that was
enacted in August 1997.  The first session of negotiations for
the regional, legally binding agreement were held in La Jolla
from October 28-31, 1997, followed by the February 2-7, 1998
session.  The agreement is likely to enter into force by the end
of 1998, with the requisite countries (minimum of 4) adopting it
by ratification, executive acceptance or approval

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