[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 21, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  WHALE WATCHING INDUSTRY IN JEOPARDY

  (Mr. METCALF asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, a multimillion dollar industry is in 
Washington State, California, Oregon, and British Columbia. It is the 
whale watching industry.
  Whales are used to boats out there and they do not mind getting close 
to the boats. In fact, sometimes they will even rub against the boat. 
This industry is about to be put in jeopardy. The International Whaling 
Commission meets this year, within the next month or so, and they are 
prepared to authorize one tribe in Washington and several in Canada to 
renew commercial whaling.
  When they start that, these are very intelligent animals. As soon as 
we begin killing whales, the blood in the water, those animals will 
become very skiddish. We will not get a boat within a mile of them. 
This multimillion dollar industry is about to be put in jeopardy for no 
good reason in the world.
  Once we allow the tribes to do it, then the Norwegians and Japanese, 
who also have a historic record of capturing whales, will be able to do 
whaling nationwide. But I am concerned about the whale watching 
industry in Washington State and the Pacific coast.

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