[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 180 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 180

  Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should 
reaffirm its opposition to any commercial and lethal scientific whaling 
    and take significant and demonstrable actions, including at the 
  International Whaling Commission and meetings of the Convention on 
 International Trade in Endangered Species, to provide protection for 
and conservation of the world's whale populations and to prevent trade 
                             in whale meat.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 28, 2001

    Mr. Delahunt (for himself, Mr. Gilchrest, Mr. George Miller of 
   California, and Mr. Smith of New Jersey) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should 
reaffirm its opposition to any commercial and lethal scientific whaling 
    and take significant and demonstrable actions, including at the 
  International Whaling Commission and meetings of the Convention on 
 International Trade in Endangered Species, to provide protection for 
and conservation of the world's whale populations and to prevent trade 
                             in whale meat.

Whereas the International Whaling Commission has adopted a moratorium on 
        commercial whaling, effective in 1986, for the protection and 
        conservation of the world's whale populations;
Whereas the United States was a world leader in establishing the moratorium on 
        commercial whaling and continues to support the International Whaling 
        Commission as the appropriate forum for deciding necessary protection 
        measures for whales;
Whereas new dangers, such as pollution, climate change and depletion of krill 
        and other food resources, have emerged that threaten the future of whale 
        populations worldwide;
Whereas certain nations have ignored the Commission's moratorium and engaged in 
        unauthorized commercial whaling and lethal scientific whaling;
Whereas more than 21,000 whales have been killed for commercial and scientific 
        purposes since the moratorium took effect, and each year the number of 
        whales killed increases;
Whereas the United States fully supported the successful adoption by the 
        International Whaling Commission of resolutions designed to establish 
        criteria for reviewing proposals to take whales under scientific 
        research permits during the commercial whaling moratorium;
Whereas the United States has supported all resolutions adopted by the 
        International Whaling Commission requesting nations engaged in research 
        whaling that fails to meet the criteria established by the Commission to 
        refrain from carrying out such whaling activities;
Whereas Japan, one year after the commercial whaling moratorium came into force, 
        commenced a lethal scientific whaling program whose apparent purpose was 
        to avoid Japan's compliance with the moratorium;
Whereas Japan continues to expand this program, most recently to include 
        factory-ship whaling for sperm and Bryde's whales for the purpose of 
        gathering information that can readily be obtained by non-lethal means, 
        and which the Commission has by resolution criticized as being 
        unnecessary for management purposes;
Whereas on August 21, 2000, 15 nations sent a demarche to the Government of 
        Japan protesting Japan's commercial whaling activities disguised as 
        scientific whaling, and this international protest has had no effect on 
        Japan's whaling activities;
Whereas Norway continues to engage in commercial whaling despite the moratorium 
        and plans to kill 549 whales in 2001;
Whereas on January 16, 2001, Norway announced its intention to begin exporting 
        whale meat to Japan, Iceland and Peru, contrary to the ban on trade in 
        endangered and threatened species under the Convention on International 
        Trade in Endangered Species (CITES);
Whereas studies have shown that trade in whale products permits the concealment 
        of illegal exploitation of endangered species of whales and creates 
        economic incentives to increase whaling;
Whereas the United States has invoked the Pelly Amendment to the Fisherman's 
        Protective Act of 1967 against Japan and Norway on eight separate 
        occasions for undermining the effectiveness of the International Whaling 
        Commission;
Whereas the latest scientific information indicates that some whale populations 
        have accumulated high levels of pollutants and these contaminants could 
        threaten the recovery of whales;
Whereas the United States has fully supported the creation of the International 
        Whaling Commission's South Pacific sanctuary to conserve whale 
        populations; and
Whereas the American people value the world's whale populations and strongly 
        oppose all commercial and lethal scientific whaling: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            the United States reaffirms its commitment to opposing any 
        commercial and lethal scientific whaling and supporting the 
        expansion of whale sanctuaries;
            the President should use all available diplomatic channels 
        to convey the United States' opposition to commercial whaling 
        activities and lethal scientific whaling;
            at the 53rd meeting of the International Whaling Commission 
        in London, the United States should strongly oppose any effort 
        to approve the resumption of commercial whaling;
            at the 12th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on 
        International Trade in Endangered Species, the United States 
        should oppose all efforts to downlist any threatened or 
        endangered whale population and to reopen international trade 
        in whale meat; and
            given the current status of most whale populations, the 
        President should consider all other actions, including 
        bilateral negotiations and sanctions, to eliminate all 
        commercial and lethal scientific whaling and prevent any trade 
        in whale meat.
                                 <all>