[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 86 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 86

 Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States, through the 
 International Whaling Commission, should use all appropriate measures 
 to end commercial whaling in all of its forms and seek to strengthen 
                  measures to conserve whale species.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 3, 2008

    Mr. Kerry (for himself and Mrs. Boxer) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States, through the 
 International Whaling Commission, should use all appropriate measures 
 to end commercial whaling in all of its forms and seek to strengthen 
                  measures to conserve whale species.

Whereas 78 countries have adopted the International Convention for the 
        Regulation of Whaling, signed at Washington December 2, 1946 (TIAS 1849) 
        (in this preamble referred to as the ``Convention''), which established 
        the International Whaling Commission (in this preamble referred to as 
        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 posed by commercial 
        whaling for more than 3 decades;
Whereas, despite the moratorium, 3 countries that are parties to the Convention 
        continue to kill whales for financial gain, disregarding the protests of 
        other parties;
Whereas those 3 countries have killed more than 25,000 whales since the 
        moratorium entered into force, including more than 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 parties to the Convention have adopted numerous resolutions opposing 
        and calling for an end to so-called scientific whaling, most recently in 
        2007 at the annual Commission meeting in Anchorage, Alaska;
Whereas commercial whaling in any form, including special permit whaling and any 
        coastal or community-based whaling, undermines the conservation mandate 
        of the Convention and impairs the Commission's ability to function 
        effectively;
Whereas all coastal whaling is commercial, unless conducted under the aboriginal 
        exemption to the moratorium on commercial whaling; and
Whereas the majority of the people of the United States 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 Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the United States, through the 
International Whaling Commission, should--
            (1) use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling 
        in any form, including so-called scientific whaling;
            (2) oppose any initiative that would result in any new, 
        Commission-sanctioned coastal or community-based whale hunting, 
        even if the whale hunting is portrayed as noncommercial and 
        including any commercial whaling by 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.
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