110 HCON 350 EH: Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States, through the International Whaling Commission, should use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling in all of its forms, including scientific and other special permit whaling, coastal whaling, and community-based whaling, and seek to strengthen the conservation and management measures to facilitate the conservation of whale species, and for other purposes. U.S. House of Representatives 0 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. CON. RES. 350 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States, through the International Whaling Commission, should use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling in all of its forms, including scientific and other special permit whaling, coastal whaling, and community-based whaling, and seek to strengthen the conservation and management measures to facilitate the conservation of whale species, and for other purposes.

Whereas 79 nations have adopted the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (the Convention), which established the International Whaling Commission (the Commission) to provide for the conservation of whale stocks; Whereas the Commission has adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling in order to conserve and promote the recovery of whale stocks, many of which had been hunted to near extinction by the whaling industry; Whereas the United States was instrumental in the adoption of the moratorium, and has led international efforts to address the threat of commercial whaling for more than 3 decades; Whereas despite the moratorium, 3 Commission member nations continue to kill whales for financial gain, disregarding the protests of other Commission members, and since the moratorium entered into force have killed more than 25,000 whales including over 11,000 whales killed under the guise of scientific research; Whereas whaling conducted for scientific purposes has been found to be unnecessary by the majority of the world’s cetacean scientists because nonlethal research alternatives exist; Whereas the member nations of the Commission have adopted numerous resolutions opposing and calling for an end to scientific whaling, most recently in 2007 at the annual Commission meeting in Anchorage, Alaska; Whereas commercial whaling in any form, including scientific and other special permit whaling, coastal whaling, and community-based whaling, undermines the conservation mandate of the Convention and impairs the Commission’s ability to function effectively; Whereas proposed coastal whaling is commercial, unless conducted under the aboriginal exemption to the moratorium; and Whereas the majority of Americans oppose the killing of whales for commercial purposes and expect the United States to use all available means to end such killing: Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of Congress that the United States, through the International Whaling Commission, should— (1)should use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling in all of its forms, including scientific and other special permit whaling, coastal whaling, and community-based whaling; (2)oppose any initiative that would result in any new, Commission-sanctioned coastal or community-based whale hunting, even if it is portrayed as noncommercial, including any commercial whaling by any coastal communities that does not qualify as aboriginal subsistence whaling; and (3)seek to strengthen conservation and management measures to facilitate the conservation of whale species.

Passed the House of Representatives June 18, 2008.Lorraine C. Miller,Clerk.