[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 50 (Monday, December 14, 1998)]
[Page 2440]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on International Maritime Organization Action To Protect the 
Northern Right Whale

December 7, 1998

    Today's vote by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to 
strengthen protections for the northern right whale is a vital step to 
ensure the survival of these majestic but endangered creatures.
    Like many other marine mammals, the northern right whale once was 
hunted nearly to extinction. The 300 or so that survive spend much of 
the year in waters off Cape Cod and off the Georgia and Florida coasts. 
Biologists believe the greatest human threat they face today is 
collisions with large ships.
    In April I instructed our representatives to the IMO to seek strong 
measures to address this threat. Under our proposal, approved 
unanimously today by the IMO, commercial ships entering the whale's 
calving and feeding grounds will be required to report by radio to the 
U.S. Coast Guard, which will relay back the latest information on the 
whales' locations and advice on avoiding collisions.
    Today's action by the IMO demonstrates once again that through 
international cooperation we can restore and protect our precious oceans 
and the magnificent diversity of life they sustain.