[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 226 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 226

 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the policy of the United 
    States at the 50th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling 
                              Commission.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 8, 1998

Ms. Snowe (for herself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Akaka, 
  Mr. Wyden, Mr. Gorton, Mr. Smith of New Hampshire, Mr. Abraham, Mr. 
  Jeffords, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Gregg, Mr. D'Amato, Mr. Chafee, and Mr. 
 Torricelli) submitted the following resolution; which was considered 
                             and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the policy of the United 
    States at the 50th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling 
                              Commission.

Whereas whales have very low reproductive rates, making whale populations 
        extremely vulnerable to pressure from commercial whaling;
Whereas whales migrate throughout the world's oceans and international 
        cooperation is required to successfully conserve and protect whale 
        stocks;
Whereas in 1946 the nations of the world adopted the International Convention 
        for the Regulation of Whaling, which established the International 
        Whaling Commission to provide for the proper conservation of the whale 
        stocks;
Whereas the Commission adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982 in 
        order to conserve and promote the recovery of the whale stocks;
Whereas the Commission has designated the Indian Ocean and the ocean waters 
        around Antarctica as whale sanctuaries to further enhance the recovery 
        of whale stocks;
Whereas many nations of the world have designated waters under their 
        jurisdiction as whale sanctuaries where commercial whaling is 
        prohibited, and additional regional whale sanctuaries have been proposed 
        by nations that are members of the Commission;
Whereas 2 member nations of the Commission have taken reservations to the 
        Commission's moratorium on commercial whaling and 1 has recently resumed 
        commercial whaling operations in spite of the moratorium and the 
        protests of other nations;
Whereas another member nation of the Commission has taken a reservation to the 
        Commission's Southern Ocean Sanctuary and continues to conduct lethal 
        scientific whaling in the waters of that sanctuary;
Whereas the Commission's Scientific Committee has repeatedly expressed serious 
        concerns about the scientific need for such lethal whaling;
Whereas the lethal take of whales under reservations to the Commissions policies 
        have been increasing annually;
Whereas there continue to be indications that whale meat is being traded on the 
        international market despite a ban on such trade under the Convention on 
        International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and that meat may be 
        originating in one of the member nations of the Commission; and
Whereas 1998 is the International Year of the Ocean and the Commission plays a 
        leading role in global efforts to improve the state of the world's 
        oceans: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) at the 50th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling 
        Commission in Oman the United States should--
                    (A) remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling;
                    (B) initiate and support efforts to ensure that all 
                activities conducted under reservations to the 
                Commission's moratorium or sanctuaries are ceased;
                    (C) oppose the lethal taking of whales for 
                scientific purposes unless such lethal taking is 
                specifically authorized by the Scientific Committee of 
                the Commission;
                    (D) seek the Commission's support for specific 
                efforts by member nations to end illegal trade in whale 
                meat; and
                    (E) support the permanent protection of whale 
                populations through the establishment of whale 
                sanctuaries in which commercial whaling is prohibited; 
                and
            (2) make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, 
        relevant international laws and agreements, and other 
        appropriate mechanisms to implement the goals set forth in 
        paragraph (1).
                                 <all>