Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 February 2017
After two years of negotiations, representatives of the United States and twelve Pacific island states signed a five–year regional fisheries treaty that sets forth conditions on U.S. fishing in the region and will guarantee U.S. purchases of at least $1.75 million worth of fishing licenses annually. At the same time, the U.S. fishing industry will provide $250,000 in annual technical assistance to help the island states develop their own fishing industries. The treaty will enter into force after ratification by the United States and ten of the Pacific signatory states. Parties taking part in the negotiations but which have not yet signed the treaty include Niue, Palau, Tonga and Vanuatu.
* [The text of the Treaty on Fisheries was provided to International Legal Materials by the U.S. Department of State. Letters from the U.S. President and Secretary of State transmitting the treaty to the U.S. Senate, the Agreement between the United States and the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency and the Exchange of Notes between the United States and Papua New Guinea and the United States and Australia are reproduced from the U.S. Congress, Senate (100th Congress, 1st Session), Treaty Doc. No. 100–5, June 18, 1987, and appear at I.L.M. pages 1051, 1091, 1092 and 1094 respectively.]