[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E915]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS THAT 
THE UNITED STATES SHOULD USE ALL APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO END COMMERCIAL 
                                WHALING

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                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 2008

  Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing a resolution 
expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States, through 
the International Whaling Commission, IWC, should use all appropriate 
measures to end commercial whaling in all of its existing or potential 
forms and seek to strengthen whale conservation and management 
measures.
  Whales cannot be humanely killed, according to Dr. Peter Singer, a 
professor of bioethics at Princeton University. As Dr. Singer said, 
causing suffering to innocent beings, without an extremely weighty 
reason for doing so, is wrong. Beyond subsistence needs, it is 
difficult to think of a reason weighty enough to cause such suffering 
to one of God's most magnificent creatures.
  As such, the purpose of my resolution is to send a strong message to 
the Administration as it prepares for the June 2008 meeting of the 
International Whaling Commission, IWC, in Santiago. The message is 
simple: now is not the time to capitulate to calls to weaken or 
undermine the IWC ban on commercial whaling. The American people care 
deeply about protecting whales, and the U.S. should continue to be an 
international leader in whale conservation.
  Established in 1946, the IWC's initial focus was the allocation of 
whaling quotas among member countries. Unfortunately, whalers from many 
countries routinely exceeded these quotas, and whale populations 
plummeted. In response, the IWC instituted a moratorium on the 
commercial killing of whales in 1986.
  Despite this moratorium, significant whaling has continued. Norway 
officially objected to the moratorium and resumed commercial whaling in 
1993. Japan and Iceland have been using a provision in the Convention--
which allows countries to issue themselves permits for ``scientific 
whaling''--to kill whales under the guise of science, and later sell 
the meat commercially. More than 11,000 whales have been reportedly 
killed in lethal scientific whaling programs since the adoption of the 
commercial whaling moratorium, even though the IWC Scientific Committee 
has repeatedly stated that such lethal takes are not necessary for 
scientific research.
  At the same time, Japan is calling for the IWC to once again sanction 
commercial whaling in the form of ``coastal'' whaling, ``community'' 
whaling, or some other iteration of small-scale commercial whaling that 
will effectively eviscerate the moratorium.
  In contrast, the anti-whaling nations want the IWC to look to the 
future--a future in which whales are protected and their nonlethal use 
is promoted. With its 75-plus members almost evenly divided between 
anti- and pro-whaling, it is imperative that the U.S. make clear its 
strong stand against the resumption of any form of commercial whaling, 
including community whaling, and that we press for the end of 
``scientific'' whaling that is anything but scientific.
  Therefore, the resolution I am introducing today calls on the U.S. 
delegation to the IWC to remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling in 
all its forms. The resolution urges the U.S. to not only initiate or 
support efforts to oppose the unnecessary lethal taking of whales for 
scientific purposes, but also seek to end the sale of meat and blubber 
from whales killed for scientific research in order to remove this 
perverse incentive. The resolution also calls on the U.S. to reject 
proposals that would weaken or lift the moratorium on commercial 
whaling by creating a new category of whaling deceptively called 
coastal or community whaling.
  It is more critical than ever that the U.S. remain firmly opposed to 
any proposals to resume even a limited level of commercial whaling and 
to maintain its leadership role in shaping global whale conservation 
policies through the IWC. The administration must not undo more than 20 
years of whale conservation and capitulate to Japan's demand for a 
sanctioned resumption of coastal commercial whaling. Instead, the U.S. 
should again demonstrate leadership in whale conservation and promote 
nonlethal uses of whales--such as whale watching--a far more benign and 
profitable venture. Worldwide, tourists spend an estimated $1.5 billion 
on whale watching each year.
  Whales constitute a vital component of the world's marine ecosystems 
and are some of the largest and most intelligent mammals on Earth. 
Conserving them requires us to uphold strong international agreements 
and maintain an unwavering commitment to protecting these species from 
killing for commercial gain. I thank my colleagues for cosponsoring 
this resolution, and I urge all Members to support it.

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