[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 350 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 350


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                June 20 (legislative day, June 19), 2008

      Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

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                         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
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
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.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.