Advisory Committee, U.S. Section, Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission

Renewal of the Charter for the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission

On March 30, 2005, the Department of State renewed the Charter of the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) for an additional two years.

The IATTC was established pursuant to the Convention for the Establishment of an Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, signed in 1949. The purpose of the Commission is to conserve and manage the fisheries and associated resources of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The United States is represented to the IATTC by the U.S. Section, which includes four Presidentially-appointed Commissioners and a Department of State representative.

The General Advisory Committee to the United States Section of the IATTC was established pursuant to Section 4 of the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950 (16 U.S.C. 953, as amended), the implementing statute for the IATTC Convention. The goal of the Advisory Committee is to serve the U.S. Section to the IATTC, the Department of State, and other agencies of the U.S. Government as advisors on matters relating to international conservation and management of stocks of tuna and dolphins in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, and in particular on the development of U.S. policy and positions associated with such matters.

The Committee is composed of representatives of the major U.S. tuna harvesting, processing, and marketing sectors. Additionally, Committee membership includes representatives of recreational fishing interests and environmental interests formulating specific U.S. policy recommendations and positions.

SOURCE: state.gov 2005/417 Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC April 14, 2005