[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 57 (Friday, May 8, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S4560]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 226--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE 
     POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES AT THE 50TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE 
                    INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION

  Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Kerry, Mr. 
Akaka, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Gorton, Mr. Smith of New Hampshire, Mr. Abraham, 
Mr. Jeffords, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Gregg, Mr. D'Amato, Mr. Chafee, and Mr. 
Torricelli) submitted the following resolution; which was considered 
and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 226

       Whereas whales have very low reproductive rates, making 
     whale populations extremely vulnerable to pressure from 
     commercial whaling;
       Whereas whales migrate throughout the world's oceans and 
     international cooperation is required to successfully 
     conserve and protect whale stocks;
       Whereas in 1946 the nations of the world adopted the 
     International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, which 
     established the International Whaling Commission to provide 
     for the proper conservation of the whale stocks;
       Whereas the Commission adopted a moratorium on commercial 
     whaling in 1982 in order to conserve and promote the recovery 
     of the whale stocks;
       Whereas the Commission has designated the Indian Ocean and 
     the ocean waters around Antarctica as whale sanctuaries to 
     further enhance the recovery of whale stocks;
       Whereas many nations of the world have designated waters 
     under their jurisdiction as whale sanctuaries where 
     commercial whaling is prohibited, and additional regional 
     whale sanctuaries have been proposed by nations that are 
     members of the Commission;
       Whereas 2 member nations of the Commission have taken 
     reservations to the Commission moratorium on commercial 
     whaling and 1 has recently resumed commercial whaling 
     operations in spite of the moratorium and the protests of 
     other nations;
       Whereas another member nation of the Commission has taken a 
     reservation to the Commission's Southern Ocean Sanctuary and 
     continues to conduct lethal scientific whaling in the waters 
     of that sanctuary;
       Whereas the Commission's Scientific Committee has 
     repeatedly expressed serious concerns about the scientific 
     need for such lethal whaling;
       Whereas the lethal take of whales under reservations to the 
     Commissions policies have been increasing annually;
       Whereas there continue to be indications that whale meat is 
     being traded on the international market despite a ban on 
     such trade under the Convention on International Trade in 
     Endangered Species (CITIES), and that meat may be originating 
     in one of the member nations of the Commission;
       Whereas 1998 is the International Year of the Ocean and the 
     Commission plays a leading role in global efforts to improve 
     the state of the world's oceans: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) at the 50th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling 
     Commission in Oman the United States should--
       (A) remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling;
       (B) initiate and support efforts to ensure that all 
     activities conducted under reservations to the Commission's 
     moratorium or sanctuaries are ceased;
       (C) oppose the lethal taking of whales for scientific 
     purposes unless such lethal taking is specifically authorized 
     by the Scientific Committee of the Commission;
       (D) seek the Commission's support for specific efforts by 
     member nations to end illegal trade in whale meat; and
       (E) support the permanent protection of whale populations 
     through the establishment of whale sanctuaries in which 
     commercial whaling is prohibited; and
       (2) make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, 
     relevant international laws and agreements, and other 
     appropriate mechanisms to implement the goals set forth in 
     paragraph (1).




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