[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 57 (Friday, May 8, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4600-S4601]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   REGARDING UNITED STATES POLICY AT THE 50TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE 
                    INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Senate Resolution 226, 
submitted earlier today by Senator Snowe and others.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 226) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate regarding the policy of the United States at the 50th 
     Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I am offering a resolution today which 
expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States, at the next 
meeting of the International Whaling Commission in two weeks, should 
remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling and should oppose so-called 
``scientific whaling.''
  This resolution is very timely and important. As we work here in the 
Senate today, representatives of nations from around the globe are 
preparing for a meeting in Oman later this month that could determine 
the fate of the world's whales. The International Whaling Commission, 
to which the U.S. and many other countries belong, will be meeting 
there to consider proposals to end the existing global moratorium on 
commercial whaling. I think that the adoption of any such proposals by 
the IWC would mark a major setback in the cause of whale conservation. 
It is imperative that the United States remain firm in its opposition 
to any proposals to resume commercial whaling, and that we, as a 
nation, continue to speak out against this practice.
  Commercial whaling has been prohibited for many species for more than 
sixty years, but whaling for some species persisted into the 1980's. 
Despite the partial protections in place for some species, however, 
commercially targeted whale stocks continued to decline and the IWC 
declared a global moratorium on all commercial whaling which went into 
effect in 1986. The United States was a leader in the effort to 
establish the moratorium, and since then we have consistently provided 
a strong voice against commercial whaling and have worked to uphold the 
moratorium. In addition, we have worked through the IWC process to 
establish sanctuaries around the world to permanently protect whales.
  Unfortunately, Norway, Japan, Russia and other countries have begun 
an aggressive campaign to eliminate the moratorium and to return to the 
days when whales were treated as commodities. In fact, Norway has begun 
killing hundreds of whales a year in defiance of the moratorium. 
Despite international efforts to protect and rebuild whale stocks, the 
number of whales harvested has increased in recent years, tripling 
since the implementation of the global moratorium in 1986. This is a 
dangerous trend that does not show signs of stopping.
  It is also time to close a loophole in the IWC rules used by nations 
to conduct so-called scientific whaling to kill whales without regard 
to the moratorium or established whale sanctuaries. The practice of 
scientific lethal whaling is outdated and the value of the data of such 
studies has been questioned by many scientists who work on the same 
population dynamics questions as those who harvest whales in the name 
of science. Japan is the most prominent practitioner of scientific 
whaling, killing 400 to 500 whales annually. Although the scientific 
merits of Japan's program are dubious at best, the meat taken from 
whales killed in the name of science is processed and sold in the 
marketplace. Also, Japan has reportedly killed many whales in the 
Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary established by the IWC around 
Antarctica. In response to Japan's practices, the Scientific Committee 
of the IWC has repeatedly passed resolutions calling for the cessation 
of lethal scientific whaling, particularly that occurring in designated 
whale sanctuaries.
  The resolution that I am offering today reaffirms the United States' 
strong support for a ban on commercial whaling at a time when our 
negotiators at the IWC most need that support. It also addresses the 
dubious practice of scientific whaling by stating that the U.S. should 
oppose scientific whaling unless it is specifically authorized by the 
Scientific Committee of the IWC.
  Mr. President, here at home we work very, very hard to protect whales 
in U.S. waters, particularly those considered threatened or endangered. 
Our own laws and regulations give whales one of the highest standards 
of protection in the world, and as a result, our own citizens are 
subject to strict rules designed to protect against the accidental 
taking or even harassment of whales. Intentional killing, including 
commercial whaling, is, of course, completely prohibited. Given what is 
asked of our citizens to protect against even accidental injury to 
whales here in the U.S., it would be grossly unfair to them if we 
retreated in any way from our position opposing commercial, intentional 
whaling in other countries. Whales migrate throughout the world's 
oceans, and as we protect whales in our own waters, so should we act to 
protect them internationally. Indeed, the sacrifices that we make here 
at home to protect whales would be seriously undermined if those same 
whales could be killed by commercial hunters the moment they leave the 
jurisdiction of the U.S.
  Whales are among the most intelligent animals on Earth, and they play 
a critically important role in the marine ecosystem. Yet, there is 
still much about them that we do not know. Resuming the intentional, 
large-scale harvest of whales is irresponsible, and it could have 
ecological consequences that we cannot predict. While the IWC was able 
to implement the global commercial moratorium, it has not had the 
opportunity to conduct thorough and updated population assessments to 
determine the status of whale stocks.

[[Page S4601]]

Therefore, it is premature to even consider easing the current 
conservation measures. Mr. President, the right policy is to protect 
whales across the globe, to oppose the resumption of commercial 
whaling, and to halt the unscientific practice of scientific whaling.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
legislation.
  Mr. STEVENS. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the 
preamble be agreed to, and any statements with regard to the resolution 
appear in the Record at this point.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 226) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              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 spit 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 (CITES), 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 it 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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