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[House Document 112-54]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

112th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 112-54

 
     REPORT ON WHALING ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY NATIONALS OF ICELAND

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  from

                     THEPRESIDENTOFTHEUNITEDSTATES

                              transmitting

  A REPORT REGARDING CERTIFICATION BY THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE THAT 
      ICELAND HAS CONDUCTED WHALING ACTIVITIES THAT DIMINISH THE 
 EFFECTIVENESS OF A CONSERVATION PROGRAM OF THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING 
            COMMISSION (IWC), PURSUANT TO 22 U.S.C. 1978(b)

 September 15, 2011.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the 
Committees on Foreign Affairs and Natural Resources, and ordered to be 
                                printed
To the Congress of the United States:
    On July 19, 2011, Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke 
certified under section 8 of the Fisherman's Protective Act of 
1967, as amended (the ``Pelly Amendment'') (22 U.S.C. 1978), 
that nationals of Iceland are conducting 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.
    In 1982, the IWC set catch limits for all commercial 
whaling at zero. This decision, known as the commercial whaling 
moratorium, is in effect today. Iceland abided by the 
moratorium until 1992, when it withdrew from the IWC. In 2002, 
Iceland rejoined the IWC with a reservation to the moratorium 
on commercial whaling. In 2003, Iceland began a lethal 
scientific research whaling program. In 2004, Secretary of 
Commerce Donald L. Evans certified Iceland under the Pelly 
Amendment for lethal scientific research whaling. When Iceland 
resumed commercial whaling in 2006, Secretary Carlos M. 
Gutierrez retained Iceland's certification, which remains in 
effect today.
    Iceland's commercial harvest of fin whales escalated 
dramatically over the past few years. In addition, Iceland 
recently resumed exporting whale products. Of particular 
concern to the United States, Iceland harvested 125 endangered 
fin whales in 2009 and 148 in 2010, a significant increase from 
the total of 7 fin whales it commercially harvested between 
1987 and 2007.
    Iceland's sole fin whaling company, Hvalur hf, suspended 
its fin whaling due to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, 
where it exports its whale meat. Despite this suspension, 
Iceland continues to permit whaling and has a government issued 
fin whale quota in effect for the 2011 season that continues to 
exceed catch levels that the IWC's scientific body advised 
would be sustainable if the moratorium was removed. This 
continues to present a threat to the conservation of fin 
whales. Further, Icelandic nationals continue to hunt minke 
whales commercially and Iceland's exports of whale meat to 
Japan reportedly increased significantly in both March and 
April 2011.
    Iceland's actions threaten the conservation status of an 
endangered species and undermine multilateral efforts to ensure 
greater worldwide protection for whales. Iceland's increased 
commercial whaling and recent trade in whale products diminish 
the effectiveness of the IWC's conservation program because: 
(1) Iceland's commercial harvest of whales undermines the 
moratorium on commercial whaling put in place by the IWC to 
protect plummeting whale stocks; (2) the fin whale harvest 
greatly exceeds catch levels that the IWC's scientific body 
advised would be sustainable if the moratorium were removed; 
and (3) Iceland's harvests are not likely to be brought under 
IWC management and control at sustainable levels through 
multilateral efforts at the IWC.
    In his letter of July 19, 2011, Secretary Locke expressed 
his concern for these actions, and I share these concerns. To 
ensure that this issue continues to receive the highest level 
of attention, I direct: (1) relevant U.S. delegations attending 
meetings with Icelandic officials and senior Administration 
officials visiting Iceland to raise U.S. concerns regarding 
commercial whaling by Icelandic companies and seek ways to halt 
such action; (2) Cabinet secretaries to evaluate the 
appropriateness of visits to Iceland depending on continuation 
of the current suspension of fin whaling; (3) the Department of 
State to examine Arctic cooperation projects, and where 
appropriate, link U.S. cooperation to the Icelandic government 
changing its whaling policy and abiding by the IWC moratorium 
on commercial whaling; (4) the Departments of Commerce and 
State to consult with other international actors on efforts to 
end Icelandic commercial whaling and have Iceland abide by the 
IWC moratorium on commercial whaling; (5) the Department of 
State to inform the Government of Iceland that the United 
States will continue to monitor the activities of Icelandic 
companies that engage in commercial whaling; and (6) relevant 
U.S. agencies to continue to examine other options for 
responding to continued whaling by Iceland.
    I concur with the Secretary of Commerce's recommendation to 
pursue the use of non-trade measures and that the actions 
outlined above are the appropriate course of action to address 
this issue. Accordingly, I am not directing the Secretary of 
the Treasury to impose trade measures on Icelandic products for 
the whaling activities that led to the certification by the 
Secretary of Commerce. However, to ensure that this issue 
continues to receive the highest level of attention, I am 
directing the Departments of State and Commerce to continue to 
keep the situation under review and continue to urge Iceland to 
cease its commercial whaling activities. Further, within 6 
months, or immediately upon the resumption of fin whaling by 
Icelandic nationals, I have directed relevant departments and 
agencies to report to me through the Departments of State and 
Commerce on their actions. I believe these actions hold the 
most promise of effecting a reduction in Iceland's commercial 
whaling activities.

                                                      Barack Obama.
    The White House, September 15, 2011.

                                  
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