Message to the Senate Transmitting a Report and Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

To the Senate of the United States:

With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to accession, I transmit herewith the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, with Annexes. In addition, I transmit for the information of the Senate the report of the Department of State, which includes a detailed analysis of the Agreement.

The Agreement, done at Canberra on June 19, 2001, and that entered into force on February 1, 2004, was adopted pursuant to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (the "Convention"), done at Bonn on June 23, 1979. Although the United States is not a Party to the Convention, the United States may nonetheless become a Party to the Agreement. The Agreement's objective is to achieve and maintain a favorable conservation status for albatrosses and petrels.

I believe the Agreement to be fully in the U.S. interest. Its provisions advance the U.S. goals of protecting albatrosses and petrels. As the Department of State's analysis explains, the Agreement is not self-executing and thus does not by itself give rise to domestically enforceable Federal law. Implementing legislation would be required, which will be submitted separately to the Congress for its consideration.

I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Agreement and give its advice and consent to accession.

GEORGE W. BUSH

The White House, September 26, 2008.