[House Document 112-54]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
112th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 112-54
REPORT ON WHALING ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY NATIONALS OF ICELAND
__________
MESSAGE
from
THEPRESIDENTOFTHEUNITEDSTATES
transmitting
A REPORT REGARDING CERTIFICATION BY THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE THAT
ICELAND HAS CONDUCTED WHALING ACTIVITIES THAT DIMINISH THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF A CONSERVATION PROGRAM OF THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING
COMMISSION (IWC), PURSUANT TO 22 U.S.C. 1978(b)
September 15, 2011.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the
Committees on Foreign Affairs and Natural Resources, and ordered to be
printed
To the Congress of the United States:
On July 19, 2011, Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke
certified under section 8 of the Fisherman's Protective Act of
1967, as amended (the ``Pelly Amendment'') (22 U.S.C. 1978),
that nationals of Iceland are conducting whaling activities
that diminish the effectiveness of the International Whaling
Commission (IWC) conservation program. This message constitutes
my report to the Congress consistent with subsection (b) of the
Pelly Amendment.
In 1982, the IWC set catch limits for all commercial
whaling at zero. This decision, known as the commercial whaling
moratorium, is in effect today. Iceland abided by the
moratorium until 1992, when it withdrew from the IWC. In 2002,
Iceland rejoined the IWC with a reservation to the moratorium
on commercial whaling. In 2003, Iceland began a lethal
scientific research whaling program. In 2004, Secretary of
Commerce Donald L. Evans certified Iceland under the Pelly
Amendment for lethal scientific research whaling. When Iceland
resumed commercial whaling in 2006, Secretary Carlos M.
Gutierrez retained Iceland's certification, which remains in
effect today.
Iceland's commercial harvest of fin whales escalated
dramatically over the past few years. In addition, Iceland
recently resumed exporting whale products. Of particular
concern to the United States, Iceland harvested 125 endangered
fin whales in 2009 and 148 in 2010, a significant increase from
the total of 7 fin whales it commercially harvested between
1987 and 2007.
Iceland's sole fin whaling company, Hvalur hf, suspended
its fin whaling due to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan,
where it exports its whale meat. Despite this suspension,
Iceland continues to permit whaling and has a government issued
fin whale quota in effect for the 2011 season that continues to
exceed catch levels that the IWC's scientific body advised
would be sustainable if the moratorium was removed. This
continues to present a threat to the conservation of fin
whales. Further, Icelandic nationals continue to hunt minke
whales commercially and Iceland's exports of whale meat to
Japan reportedly increased significantly in both March and
April 2011.
Iceland's actions threaten the conservation status of an
endangered species and undermine multilateral efforts to ensure
greater worldwide protection for whales. Iceland's increased
commercial whaling and recent trade in whale products diminish
the effectiveness of the IWC's conservation program because:
(1) Iceland's commercial harvest of whales undermines the
moratorium on commercial whaling put in place by the IWC to
protect plummeting whale stocks; (2) the fin whale harvest
greatly exceeds catch levels that the IWC's scientific body
advised would be sustainable if the moratorium were removed;
and (3) Iceland's harvests are not likely to be brought under
IWC management and control at sustainable levels through
multilateral efforts at the IWC.
In his letter of July 19, 2011, Secretary Locke expressed
his concern for these actions, and I share these concerns. To
ensure that this issue continues to receive the highest level
of attention, I direct: (1) relevant U.S. delegations attending
meetings with Icelandic officials and senior Administration
officials visiting Iceland to raise U.S. concerns regarding
commercial whaling by Icelandic companies and seek ways to halt
such action; (2) Cabinet secretaries to evaluate the
appropriateness of visits to Iceland depending on continuation
of the current suspension of fin whaling; (3) the Department of
State to examine Arctic cooperation projects, and where
appropriate, link U.S. cooperation to the Icelandic government
changing its whaling policy and abiding by the IWC moratorium
on commercial whaling; (4) the Departments of Commerce and
State to consult with other international actors on efforts to
end Icelandic commercial whaling and have Iceland abide by the
IWC moratorium on commercial whaling; (5) the Department of
State to inform the Government of Iceland that the United
States will continue to monitor the activities of Icelandic
companies that engage in commercial whaling; and (6) relevant
U.S. agencies to continue to examine other options for
responding to continued whaling by Iceland.
I concur with the Secretary of Commerce's recommendation to
pursue the use of non-trade measures and that the actions
outlined above are the appropriate course of action to address
this issue. Accordingly, I am not directing the Secretary of
the Treasury to impose trade measures on Icelandic products for
the whaling activities that led to the certification by the
Secretary of Commerce. However, to ensure that this issue
continues to receive the highest level of attention, I am
directing the Departments of State and Commerce to continue to
keep the situation under review and continue to urge Iceland to
cease its commercial whaling activities. Further, within 6
months, or immediately upon the resumption of fin whaling by
Icelandic nationals, I have directed relevant departments and
agencies to report to me through the Departments of State and
Commerce on their actions. I believe these actions hold the
most promise of effecting a reduction in Iceland's commercial
whaling activities.
Barack Obama.
The White House, September 15, 2011.