[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 267 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 267

 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the policy of the United 
    States at the 54th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling 
                              Commission.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                 May 14 (legislative day, May 9), 2002

   Mr. Kerry (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Hollings, Mr. McCain, Mr. 
    Lieberman, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Reed, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. 
   Fitzgerald, Ms. Collins, Mr. Lugar, Mrs. Boxer, and Mr. Kennedy) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the policy of the United 
    States at the 54th 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 whale 
        stocks;
Whereas the Commission adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982 in 
        order to conserve and promote the recovery of 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 two member nations currently have reservations to the Commission's 
        moratorium on commercial whaling and 1 member nation is currently 
        conducting commercial whaling operations in spite of the moratorium and 
        the protests of other nations;
Whereas a nonmember nation that opposes the moratorium against commercial 
        whaling is seeking to join the Convention, on the condition that it be 
        exempt from the moratorium;
Whereas the Commission has adopted several resolutions at recent meetings asking 
        member nations to halt commercial whaling activities conducted under 
        reservation to the moratorium and to refrain from issuing special 
        permits for research involving the killing of whales and other 
        cetaceans;
Whereas 1 member nation of the Commission has taken a reservation to the 
        Commission's Southern Ocean Sanctuary and also continues to conduct 
        unnecessary lethal scientific whaling in the Southern Ocean and in the 
        North Pacific Ocean;
Whereas the Commission's Scientific Committee has repeatedly expressed serious 
        concerns about the scientific need for such lethal research;
Whereas one member nation in the past unsuccessfully sought an exemption 
        allowing commercial whaling of up to 50 minke whales, in order to 
        provide economic assistance to specific vessels, now seeks a scientific 
        permit for these same vessels to take 50 minke whales;
Whereas the lethal take of whales under scientific permits has increased both in 
        quantity and species, with species now including minke, Bryde's, and 
        sperm whales, and new proposals have been offered to include sei whales 
        for the first time;
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, and that meat may be 
        originating in one of the member nations of the Commission; and
Whereas engaging in commercial whaling under reservation and lethal scientific 
        whaling undermines the conservation program of the Commission: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) at the 54th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling 
        Commission 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 proposal to allow a non-member 
                country to join the convention with a reservation that 
                exempts it from the moratorium against commercial 
                whaling:
                    (D) oppose the lethal taking of whales for 
                scientific purposes unless such lethal taking is 
                specifically authorized by the Scientific Committee of 
                the Commission;
                    (E) seek the Commission's support for specific 
                efforts by member nations to end illegal trade in whale 
                meat; and
                    (F) support the permanent protection of whale 
                populations through the establishment of whale 
                sanctuaries in which commercial whaling is prohibited;
            (2) at the 12th Conference of the Parties to the Convention 
        on International Trade in Endangered Species, the United States 
        should oppose all efforts to reopen international trade in 
        whale meat or downlist any whale population;
            (3) the United States should make full use of all 
        appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, relevant international laws 
        and agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms to implement 
        the goals set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2); and
            (4) if the Secretary of Commerce certifies to the 
        President, under section 8(a)(2) of the Fishermen's Protective 
        Act of 1967 (22 U.S.C. 1978(a)(2)), that nationals of a foreign 
        country are engaging in trade or a taking which diminishes the 
        effectiveness of the Convention, then the United States should 
        take appropriate steps at its disposal pursuant to Federal law 
        to convince such foreign country to ceases such trade or 
        taking.
                                 <all>