[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 87 (Tuesday, June 22, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H4729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    REPORT REGARDING ICELAND'S WHALING ACTIVITIES--MESSAGE FROM THE 
          PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 108-195)

  The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 
from the President of the United States; which was read and, together 
with the accompanying papers, without objection, referred to the 
Committee on International Relations and the Committee on Resources and 
ordered to be printed:

To the Congress of the United States:
  On June 16, 2004, Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans certified under 
section 8 of the Fisherman's Protective Act of 1967, as amended (the 
``Pelly Amendment'') (22 U.S.C. 1978), that Iceland has conducted 
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.
  The certification of the Secretary of Commerce is the first against 
Iceland for its lethal research whaling program. In 2003, Iceland 
announced that it would begin a lethal research whaling program and 
planned to take 250 minke, fin, and sei whales for research purposes. 
The United States expressed strong opposition to Iceland's decision, in 
keeping with our longstanding policy against lethal research whaling. 
Iceland's proposal was criticized at the June 2003 IWC Annual Meeting 
by a majority of members of the IWC Scientific Committee, and the IWC 
passed a resolution that urged Iceland not to commence this program. In 
addition, the United States, along with 22 other nations, issued a 
joint protest asking Iceland to halt the program immediately. The 
United States believe the Icelandic research whaling program is of 
questionable scientific validity. Scientific data relevant to the 
management of whale stocks can be collected by non-lethal techniques. 
Since Iceland's 2003 announcement, Iceland reduced its proposed take to 
38 minke whales and in implementing its lethal research program, killed 
36 whales last year. For this year, Iceland has proposed taking 25 
minke whales. The United States welcomes this decision to reduce the 
take and to limit it to minke whales, and we appreciate Iceland's 
constructive work with the United States at the IWC on a variety of 
whaling issues. These adjustments, however, do not change our 
assessment that Iceland's lethal research whaling program is of 
questionable scientific validity and diminishes the effectiveness of 
the IWC's conservation program.
  In his letter of June 16, 2004, Secretary Evans expressed his concern 
for these actions, and I share these concerns. I also concur in his 
recommendation that the use of trade sanctions is not the course of 
action needed to resolve our current differences with Iceland over 
research whaling activities. Accordingly, I am not directing the 
Secretary of the Treasury to impose trade sanctions on Icelandic 
products for the whaling activities that led to certification by the 
Secretary of Commerce. However, to ensure that this issue continues to 
receive the highest level of attention, I am directing U.S. delegations 
attending future bilateral meetings with Iceland regarding whaling 
issues to raise our concerns and seek ways to halt these whaling 
actions. I am also directing the Secretaries of State and Commerce to 
keep this situation under close review and to continue to work with 
Iceland to encourage it to cease its lethal scientific research whaling 
activities. I believe these diplomatic efforts hold the most promise of 
effecting change in Iceland's research whaling program, and do not 
believe that imposing import prohibitions would further our objectives.
                                                      George W. Bush.  
The White House, June 22, 2004.

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