§1378 International program

Summary

The Secretary, working with the Secretary of State, must begin talks with other countries to protect and conserve all marine mammals. The Secretary must open negotiations with nations whose commercial fishing harms marine mammals to seek treaties. He must talk with countries that catch yellowfin tuna with purse seines in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean to set up international rules (through the Inter‑American Tropical Tuna Commission or similar groups) that include research on dolphin‑safe fishing methods and population status, reliable monitoring of incidental takes, science‑based limits on incidental takes, and use of practical safety equipment to cut deaths and serious injuries toward zero. He must try to revise the Tuna Commission rules to add conservation measures agreed in the Panama Declaration and the Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks Agreement (opened for signature December 4, 1995) and to set fair cost shares. He must also seek funds for the International Dolphin Conservation Program, encourage protection agreements for important ocean and land areas, update U.S. treaties to match these goals, call an international ministerial meeting before July 1, 1973 to work toward a binding global convention, and report to Congress within one year after October 21, 1972 on his work. The Secretary must, with the Marine Mammal Commission, study North Pacific fur seals to see if U.S. herds are at their best sustainable numbers and what the trends are. He must also compare this law with the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention (signed February 9, 1957) and say whether changes are needed. If he finds the herds are below or falling toward danger of depletion, or that the Convention should be changed to match this law, the law calls for further steps. The Secretary must include each year’s results from the yellowfin tuna talks and any follow‑up proposals in the report required under section 1373(f).