Max Baucus: “I further want to address an aspect of the Andean Trade Preference Act, which forms part of the Trade Act of 2002. The…”

“I further want to address an aspect of the Andean Trade Preference Act, which forms part of the Trade Act of 2002. The Andean Trade Preference Act grants duty-free access to certain tuna products from the Andean countries. Let me first say that I support the objective of the Andean Trade Preference Act to encourage the Andean countries in promoting economic development and fighting the drug trade. I am concerned, however, that some tuna imported into the United States under this preference program may not be legally harvested. A case was recently reported in the news in which the El Dorado, a Colombian-flagged vessel working for the Ecuadorian company Inepaca, one of the largest fish processing facilities in Latin America, was caught fishing illegally in Ecuador's Galapagos Marine Reserve. Industrial fishing in the reserve is prohibited under Ecuadorian law. The Galapagos Marine Reserve is a globally significant area that was recognized earlier this year as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition, the report stated that the vessel was illegally fishing for tuna using a method known as dolphin encirclement.”