United States-Canada Reciprocal Fisheries Agreement Message to the Congress Transmitting the Agreement.

To the Congress of the United States:

I transmit herewith a Reciprocal Fisheries Agreement Between the Government of the United States and the Government of Canada, signed in Washington, February 24, 1977.

The Agreement, which is for 1977 only, satisfies important United States interests both in United States fisheries off Canada and in overall cooperative relations between the United States and Canada. The Reciprocal Fisheries Agreement is not a Governing International Fisheries Agreement within the terms of the Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The reciprocal accommodations of United States and Canadian interests required inclusion in the Agreement of provisions which are not consistent with certain sections of that Act.

Positive Congressional action therefore is required to bring the Reciprocal Agreement into force. I believe it important to take this action in order that there be no disruption of the important United States-Canadian fisheries off Canada following the establishment of the United States 200-mile fishery conservation zone on March 1, 1977.

I recommend that the Congress give favorable consideration of this Agreement by March 1. I further recommend that the Congress consider bringing the Agreement into force by Joint Resolution, such Resolution having the effect of establishing the legal basis in which the reciprocal fisheries of the two countries would go forward in 1977.

JIMMY CARTER

The White House,

February 28, 1977.