Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the imposition of sanctions on nations that are undermining…

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Expresses the sense of the Congress that the President should: (1) direct the U.S. Commissioners to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas to seek the establishment of effective conservation, management, and enforcement measures for the species under consideration at the 2003 Commission meeting, including for Atlantic marlin; (2) continue to encourage members and nonmembers that fish in the Commission regulatory area to make every effort to end illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing, including any fishing that is not in conformance with relevant conservation recommendations adopted by the Commission, including those concerning Atlantic marlin landing reductions; (3) make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, relevant international laws and agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms to ensure conformance with conservation recommendations for all species under the Commission's management authority, including Atlantic marlin; and (4) continue to encourage the Commission to adopt conservation recommendations authorizing the use of enforceable measures to prevent those who fish in the Commission regulatory area from taking actions that would undermine the effectiveness of conservation and management recommendations of the Commission.

Declares the sense of Congress that if any vessel of a Commission member or nonmember fishes in the Convention area without conforming with Commission recommendations in such a manner or in such circumstances as would tend to diminish the effectiveness of such recommendations, then such member or nonmember should be considered to be: (1) subject to specified regulations under the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975; (2) subject to the provisions of the Commission's rules that ensure conformance with Commission recommendations by member and nonmembers; and (3) if any vessel fishes in such a manner or in such circumstances as would tend to diminish the effectiveness of international fishery conservation programs, then such action should be considered to be a fact certifiable under the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967 (thus triggering the President's authority to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to prohibit the bringing or the importation into the United States of any products from the offending country for any appropriate duration, to the extent sanctioned by the World Trade Organization or the multilateral trade agreements).

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov