III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 86 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States, through the International Whaling Commission, should use all appropriate measures to 

end commercial whaling in all of its forms and seek to strengthen 

measures to conserve whale species. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 3, 2008 

Mr. KERRY (for himself and Mrs. BOXER) submitted the following concurrent 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States, 

through the International Whaling Commission, should 

use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling 

in all of its forms and seek to strengthen measures 

to conserve whale species. 

Whereas 78 countries have adopted the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, signed at Washington 

December 2, 1946 (TIAS 1849) (in this preamble referred to as the ‘‘Convention’’), which established the 

International Whaling Commission (in this preamble referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’) to provide for the conservation of whale stocks; 

Whereas the Commission has adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling in order to conserve and promote the reVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:05 Jun 04, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SC86.IS SC86

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•SCON 86 IS 

covery of whale stocks, many of which had been hunted 

to near extinction by the whaling industry; 

Whereas the United States was instrumental in the adoption 

of the moratorium and has led international efforts to address the threat posed by commercial whaling for more 

than 3 decades; 

Whereas, despite the moratorium, 3 countries that are parties 

to the Convention continue to kill whales for financial 

gain, disregarding the protests of other parties; 

Whereas those 3 countries have killed more than 25,000 

whales since the moratorium entered into force, including 

more than 11,000 whales killed under the guise of scientific research; 

Whereas whaling conducted for scientific purposes has been 

found to be unnecessary by the majority of the world’s 

cetacean scientists because nonlethal research alternatives 

exist; 

Whereas the parties to the Convention have adopted numerous resolutions opposing and calling for an end to socalled scientific whaling, most recently in 2007 at the annual Commission meeting in Anchorage, Alaska; 

Whereas commercial whaling in any form, including special 

permit whaling and any coastal or community-based 

whaling, undermines the conservation mandate of the 

Convention and impairs the Commission’s ability to function effectively; 

Whereas all coastal whaling is commercial, unless conducted 

under the aboriginal exemption to the moratorium on 

commercial whaling; and 

Whereas the majority of the people of the United States oppose the killing of whales for commercial purposes and 


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•SCON 86 IS 

expect the United States to use all available means to 

end such killing: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the 

3 United States, through the International Whaling Com4 mission, should— 

5 (1) use all appropriate measures to end com6 mercial whaling in any form, including so-called sci7 entific whaling; 

8 (2) oppose any initiative that would result in 

9 any new, Commission-sanctioned coastal or commu10 nity-based whale hunting, even if the whale hunting 

11 is portrayed as noncommercial and including any 

12 commercial whaling by coastal communities that 

13 does not qualify as aboriginal subsistence whaling; 

14 and 

15 (3) seek to strengthen conservation and man16 agement measures to facilitate the conservation of 

17 whale species. 

Æ 


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