III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 350 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 20 (legislative day, JUNE 19), 2008 

Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States, 

through the International Whaling Commission, should 

use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling 

in all of its forms, including scientific and other special 

permit whaling, coastal whaling, and community-based 

whaling, and seek to strengthen the conservation and 

management measures to facilitate the conservation of 

whale species, and for other purposes. 

Whereas 79 nations have adopted the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (the Convention), 

which established the International Whaling Commission 

(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 


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recovery 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 of commercial whaling for more than 

3 decades; 

Whereas despite the moratorium, 3 Commission member nations continue to kill whales for financial gain, disregarding the protests of other Commission members, 

and since the moratorium entered into force have killed 

more than 25,000 whales including over 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 member nations of the Commission have adopted numerous resolutions opposing and calling for an end 

to scientific whaling, most recently in 2007 at the annual 

Commission meeting in Anchorage, Alaska; 

Whereas commercial whaling in any form, including scientific 

and other special permit whaling, coastal whaling, and 

community-based whaling, undermines the conservation 

mandate of the Convention and impairs the Commission’s 

ability to function effectively; 

Whereas proposed coastal whaling is commercial, unless conducted under the aboriginal exemption to the moratorium; and 

Whereas the majority of Americans oppose the killing of 

whales for commercial purposes and expect the United 


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States to use all available means to end such killing: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

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

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

5 (1) should use all appropriate measures to end 

6 commercial whaling in all of its forms, including sci7 entific and other special permit whaling, coastal 

8 whaling, and community-based whaling; 

9 (2) oppose any initiative that would result in 

10 any new, Commission-sanctioned coastal or commu11 nity-based whale hunting, even if it is portrayed as 

12 noncommercial, including any commercial whaling by 

13 any coastal communities that does not qualify as ab14 original subsistence whaling; and 

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

17 whale species. 

Passed the House of Representatives June 18, 2008. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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