[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 26 (Monday, June 28, 2004)]
[Pages 1134-1135]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message to the Congress Reporting on Iceland's Lethal Research Whaling 
Program

June 22, 2004

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 believes 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

[[Page 1135]]

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.