[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 122 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 122

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the policy of the United 
    States at the 56th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling 
                              Commission.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              July 9, 2004

    Ms. Snowe (for herself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Dodd, Mr. 
Kennedy, Mr. Chafee, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. Collins, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Reed, 
  Mr. Corzine, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Biden, and Mr. Lieberman) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the policy of the United 
    States at the 56th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling 
                              Commission.

Whereas whales have very low reproductive rates, making many 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 a significant number of 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 in 2003 the Commission established a Conservation Committee, open to all 
        members of the Commission, for the purpose of facilitating efficient and 
        effective coordination and development of conservation recommendations 
        and activities, which are fully consistent with the conservation 
        objectives stated in the 1946 Convention;
Whereas the Commission adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982 in 
        order to conserve and promote the recovery of whale stocks, many of 
        which had been hunted to near extinction by the commercial whaling 
        industry;
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 one member nation is currently 
        conducting commercial whaling operations in spite of the moratorium and 
        the protests of other nations;
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;
Whereas one 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 one 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 whale meat and blubber is being sold commercially from whales killed 
        pursuant to such unnecessary lethal scientific whaling, further 
        undermining the moratorium on commercial whaling;
Whereas the Commission's Scientific Committee has repeatedly expressed serious 
        concerns about the scientific need for such lethal research and 
        recognizes the importance of demonstrating and expanding the use of non-
        lethal scientific research methods;
Whereas last year one member nation unsuccessfully sought an exemption allowing 
        commercial whaling of up to 150 minke whales and 150 Bryde's whales, 
        contrary to the moratorium and without review of the scientific 
        committee, and continues to seek avenues to allow lethal takes of whales 
        by vessels from specific communities in a manner that would undermine 
        the moratorium on commercial whaling;
Whereas more than 8500 whales have been killed in lethal scientific whaling 
        programs since the adoption of the commercial whaling moratorium and the 
        lethal take of whales under scientific permits has increased both in 
        quantity and species, with species now including minke, Bryde's, sei, 
        and sperm whales; and
Whereas engaging in commercial whaling under reservation and lethal scientific 
        whaling undermines the conservation program of the Commission: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) at the 56th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling 
        Commission the United States should--
                    (A) remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling;
                    (B) support the purposes and functions of the 
                Conservation Committee, which provides a system for 
                ensuring good governance of the Commission's 
                conservation activities;
                    (C) initiate and support efforts to ensure that all 
                activities conducted under reservations to the 
                Commission's moratorium or sanctuaries are ceased;
                    (D) oppose the unnecessary lethal taking of whales 
                for scientific purposes, seek support for expanding the 
                use of non-lethal research methods, and seek to end the 
                sale of whale meat and blubber from whales killed for 
                unnecessary lethal scientific research;
                    (E) seek the Commission's support for specific 
                efforts by member nations to end trade in whale meat;
                    (F) support the permanent protection of whale 
                populations through the establishment of whale 
                sanctuaries in which commercial whaling is prohibited; 
                and
                    (G) support efforts to expand data collection on 
                whale populations, monitor and reduce whale bycatch and 
                other incidental impacts, and otherwise expand whale 
                conservation efforts; and
            (2) 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 paragraph (1).
                                 <all>