can Tropical Tuna Commission, signed at Washington, May 31, 1949, by the United States of America and the Republic of Costa Rica (1 U.S.T. 230).

(c) Commission. The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission established pursuant to the Convention.

(d) Bureau Director. The Director of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

(e) Regulatory area. All waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean bounded by the mainland of the Americas and the following lines: Beginning at a point on the mainland where the parallel of 40 degrees north latitude intersects the coast; thence due west to the meridian of 125 degrees west longitude; thence due south to the parallel of 20 degrees north latitude; thence due east to the meridian of 120 degrees west longitude; thence due south to the parallel of 5 degrees north latitude, thence due east to the meridian of 110 degrees west longitude; thence due south to the parallel of 10 degrees south latitude; thence due east to the meridian of 90 degrees west longitude; thence due south to the parallel of 30 degrees south latitude; thence due east to a point on the mainland where the parallel of 30 degrees south latitude intersects the coast.

§ 281.2 Basis and purpose.

(a) At a special meeting held at Long Beach, Calif., on September 14, 1961, the Commission recommended to the Governments of Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and the United States of America, parties to the Convention, that they take joint action to limit the annual catch of yellowfin tuna from the eastern Pacific Ocean by fishermen of all nations during the calendar year 1962. This recommendation was made pursuant to paragraph 5 of Article II of the Convention on the basis of scientific investigations conducted by the Commission over a period of time dating from 1951. The most recent years of this period were marked by a substantial increase in fishing effort directed toward the yellowfin tuna stocks, resulting in a rate of exploitation of these stocks greater than that at which the maximum sustainable yield may be obtained. The Commission's recommendation for joint action by the parties to regulate the yellowfin tuna fishery has as its objective the restoration of these stocks to a level of abundance which will permit maximum sustainable catch and the maintenance of the stocks in that condition in the future.

(b) At annual meetings held at Quito, Ecuador, May 16-18, 1962; at Panama City, Panama, April 16-17, 1963; at San Diego, Calif., March 1819, 1964; at Mexico City, Mexico, March 23-24, 1965; and at Guayaquil, Ecuador, April 19-20, 1966, the Commission affirmed its earlier conclusions regarding the need for regulating the yellowfin tuna fishery in the eastern Pacific Ocean and at each meeting recommended to the parties to the Convention that they take joint action to:

(1) Establish a prescribed tonnage limit on the total catch of yellowfin tuna by the fishermen of all nations during each calendar year from an area of the eastern Pacific Ocean defined by the Commission:

(2) Establish open and closed seasons for yellowfin tuna under prescribed conditions;

(3) Permit the landing of not more than 15 percent (15%) by weight of yellowfin tuna among the tuna taken on a fishing trip made after the close

of the yellowfin tuna fishing season; and

(4) Obtain from governments not parties to the Convention, but having vessels which operate in the fishery, cooperation in affecting the recommended conservation measures.

(c) In conformity with the provisions of section 6(c) of the Act and simultaneously with the adoption of the regulations in this part, the Secretary of the Interior has made effective Part 280 of this chapter for the purpose of carrying out the recommendations of the Commission for the conservation of yellowfin tuna in the regulatory area so far as such recommendations affect all vessels and persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(d) The yellowfin tuna stocks recommended for regulation by the Commission constitute a significant part of an international high seas fishery in which the vessels of a number of countries are engaged in varying degrees. Since some of the countries are not parties to the Convention and, therefore, have no applicable treaty obligations to fulfill, the achievement of the conservation objectives with respect to the tuna resources of the eastern Pacific Ocean is dependent upon international cooperative efforts to implement the Commission's recommendations. With a view toward encouraging effective cooperation on the part of such countries, the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended, directs that restrictions be established on the importation of certain tuna fish from any country which shall fail to take action to prevent the occurrence of certain proscribed activities. Thus, section 6(c) of the Act provides that the Secretary of the Interior, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall promulgate regulations—

(1) To prohibit the entry into the United States, from any country when the vessels of such country are being used in the conduct of fishing operations in the regulatory area in such manner or in such circumstances as would tend to diminish the effectiveness of the conservation recommendations of the Commission, of fish in any form of those species which are subject to regulation pursuant to a recommendation of the

Commission and which were taken from the regulatory area; and

(2) To prohibit entry into the United States, from any country, of fish in any form of those species which are subject to regulation pursuant to a recommendation of the Commission and which were taken from the regulatory area by vessels other than those of such country in such manner or in such circumstances as would tend to diminish the effectiveness of the conservation recommendations of the Commission.

(e) Section 6(c) of the Act further provides that "in the case of repeated and flagrant fishing operations in the regulatory area by the vessels of any country which seriously threaten the achievement of the objectives of the Commission's recommendations, the Secretary of the Interior, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, may, in his discretion, also prohibit the entry from such country of such other species of tuna, in any form, as may be under investigation by the Commission and which were taken in the regulatory area."

(f) By letter of May 8, 1964, the Secretary of State concurred in the promulgation of the regulations in this part. Such regulations are designed to implement the provisions of section 6(c) of the Act with respect to import controls and to prescribe procedures for the establishment of restrictions on imports of tuna whenever such action shall be deemed warranted.

§ 281.3 Species subject to regulation.

The species of fish currently subject to regulation pursuant to a recommendation of the Commission within the meaning of section 6(c) of the Act is yellowfin tuna.

§ 281.4 Species under investigation by the Commission.

The species of fish currently under investigation by the Commission within the meaning of section 6(c) of the Act are yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, and bigeye tuna.

§ 281.5 Investigations authorized.

(a) The Bureau Director shall cause to be made from time to time such inquiries and investigations as may be necessary to keep himself and other persons concerned currently informed regarding the nature and effectiveness

of the measures for the implementation of the Commission's recommendations which are being carried out by countries whose vessels engage in fishing within the regulatory area. In making a finding as to whether or not a country is condoning the use of vessels in the conduct of fishing operations in the regulatory area in such manner or in such circumstances as would tend to diminish the effectiveness of the conservation recommendations of the Commission, The Bureau Director shall take into account, among such other considerations as may appear to be pertinent in a particular case, the following factors:

(1) Whether or not the country provides or causes to be provided to the Commission pertinent statistics on a timely basis.

(2) Whether or not the country has in force conservation measures applicable to its own fishermen adequate for the implementation of the Commission's recommendations.

(3) Whether or not the country has in force measures for the control of landings in its ports of species subject to regulation which are taken in the regulatory area by fishermen of other countries contrary to the Commission's conservation recommendations.

(4) Whether or not the country, having put conservation measures into effect, takes reasonable action to enforce such measures.

(5) The number of vessels of the country which conduct fishing operations in the regulatory area.

(6) The quantity of species subject to regulation taken from the regulatory area by the country's vessels contrary to the Commission's conservation recommendations and its relationship to (i) the total quantity permitted to be taken by the vessels of all countries participating in the fishery and (ii) the quantity of such species sought to be restored to the stocks of fish pursuant to the Commission's conservation recommendations.

(7) Whether or not repeated and flagrant fishing operations in the regulatory area by the vessels of the country seriously threaten the achievement of the objectives of the Commission's recommendations.

(b) Any person who shall have reason to believe that the vessels of any country are being used in the conduct of fishing operations in the regulatory area in such manner or in such circumstances as would tend to diminish the effectiveness of the conservation recommendations of the Commission or that other acts within the purview of the import control provisions of section 6(c) of the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950 as amended, are occurring or are likely to occur, may communicate his belief to the Bureau Director. Every such communication shall contain or be accompanied by a full statement of the reasons for the belief, including a detailed description of such specific acts or events as may support the belief, and such other pertinent facts as may indicate a need for instituting an investigation as authorized in this part.

(c) Upon receipt by the Bureau Director of any communication submitted pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section and found to comply with the requirements of that paragraph, the Bureau Director promptly shall cause such investigation to be made as appears to be warranted by the circumstances of the case. In conducting such investigation the Bureau Director or his designated representative shall consider any representations offered by foreign interests, importers, brokers, domestic producers, or other interested persons. Unless good cause to the contrary shall exist, every such investigation shall be completed within 60 days following receipt of the communication.

§ 281.6 Publication of findings.

It it shall be determined on the basis of § 281.5 that species of fish subject to regulation or under investigation by the Commission, as the case may be, are ineligible for entry into the United States from a particular country pursuant to the provisions of section 6(c) of the Act, the Bureau Director, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior and, when required by law, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall publish a finding to that effect in the FEDERAL REGISTER. Effective upon the date of publication of such finding in the FEDERAL REGIS

TER every shipment of fish in any form of the species under regulation or under investigation by the Commission offered for entry either directly or indirectly from the country named in the finding shall be denied entry unless it shall be established by satisfactory proof pursuant to § 281.7 that a particular shipment of such fish is not ineligible for entry: Provided, That entry shall not be denied and no such proof shall be required for any such shipment which, on the date of such publication, was in transit to the United States on board a vessel operating as a common carrier.

§ 281.7 Proof of admissibility.

(a) For the purposes of § 281.6 of this part and section 8(c) of the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended, a shipment of fish in any form of the species under regulation or under investigation by the Commission offered for entry, directly or indirectly, from a country named in a finding published under such § 281.6 shall be deemed to be eligible for entry if the shipment is accompanied by a certificate of eligibility certifying, as may be appropriate, that the tuna in the shipment: (1) Are not of the species specified in the published finding; (2) are of the species named in the published finding but were not taken in the regulatory area; or (3) are of the species named in the published finding but are products of an American fishery lawfully taken in conformity with applicable conservation laws and regulations and landed in the country named in the published finding solely for transshipment. The certificate shall be attached to the invoice and be in the following form:

6(c) of the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended. [A certificate of authentication executed by a consular officer or a consular agent of the United States must be attached.]

(b) Contains tuna fish of the species prohibited entry into the United States by virtue of a finding of ineligibility published under regulations issued pursuant to section 6(c) of the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended, but that such fish were caught in the waters of

(Identify area or areas in which fish were taken) by vessels subject to the jurisdiction of (Country), and that none of the said fish were taken in any part of the eastern Pacific Ocean subject to conservation regulations pursuant to recommendations of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. [A certificate of authentication executed by a consular officer or consular agent of the United States must be attached.]

(c) Contains tuna fish of the species prohibited entry into the United States by virtue of a finding of ineligibility published under regulations issued pursuant to section 6(c) of the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended, but that such fish, as shown in the attached declaration, were taken in strict conformity with applicable conservation laws and regulations in a fishing enterprise conducted under the American flag by vessels of the United States, are products of an American fishery within the meaning of Schedule 1, Part 15A, Tariff Schedules of the United States, were landed in a foreign country solely for transshipment without change in condition and are eligible for free entry under such Schedule and 19 CFR 10.78-10.79. [Where an entry is to be made pursuant to this paragraph, this certificate must be executed by a consular officer or consular agent of the United States and the declaration(s) required by 19 C.F.R. 10.79 must be attached.]

(Signature)

(Title)

(Address)

(b) If the tuna fish are offered for entry under paragraph (a) or (b) of the Certificate of Eligibility, the certificate must be executed by a duly authorized official of the country named in the published finding and the certificate must be authenticated with respect to the signature and official posi

(Name and full title of officer)

(c) If the tuna fish are offered for entry under paragraph (c) of the Certificate of Eligibility, the certificate must be executed by a consular officer or consular agent of the United States and be accompanied by the declaration(s) required by 19 CFR 10.79. The "Declaration of Master and Two Members of Crew on Entry of Products of American Fisheries,' required by 19 CFR 10.79, must contain a further statement as follows: "We further declare that the said tuna fish were caught by use in full compliance with Part 280, Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, and such other conservation laws and regulations as were applicable at the time the fishing operation was in progress."

§ 281.8 Removal of import restrictions.

Upon a determination by the Bureau Director that the conditions no longer exist which warranted the imposition of import restrictions against the country named in the finding pub