IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 370

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should promote

and support the use of sound science in management decisions made

by the International Whaling Commission and remain diligent in their

efforts to protect the ability of Native people of the United States,

who have been issued quotas by the International Whaling Commission,

to continue to legally harvest whales, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 9, 2002

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska submitted the following concurrent resolution; which

was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States

should promote and support the use of sound science

in management decisions made by the International

Whaling Commission and remain diligent in their efforts

to protect the ability of Native people of the United

States, who have been issued quotas by the International

Whaling Commission, to continue to legally harvest

whales, and for other purposes.

Whereas the International Whaling Commission has adopted

a moratorium on commercial whaling, effective in 1986,

which has been extended pending the development of a

revised management scheme;
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•HCON 370 IH

Whereas the United States was a world leader in establishing

the moratorium on commercial whaling to protect and

conserve whale populations;

Whereas the United States should promote the use of scientific information in negotiating management measures

to maintain the integrity of the International Whaling

Commission as the governing international body over

whale species;

Whereas many Alaska Natives rely on whales to provide sustenance and to meet their subsistence and cultural needs;

Whereas the International Whaling Commission allocates

quotas for the Alaska Native harvest of bowhead whales;

Whereas sound science should guide the decisions of the

United States delegation in negotiating positions on resolutions before the International Whaling Commission;

and

Whereas the United States needs to support the use of sound

science in management measures undertaken by the

International Whaling Commission to ensure that all

participatory nations remain parties to the Commission

and do not undertake whaling activities on their own:

Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

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

3 (1) the United States should remain diligent in

4 its efforts to protect the ability of Native people of

5 the United States who have been issued quotas by

6 the International Whaling Commission to continue

7 to legally harvest whales;
3

•HCON 370 IH

1 (2) the President should instruct representa2 tives to the United States delegation to the 54th an3 nual meeting of the International Whaling Commis4 sion to support positions that are based on sound

5 science;

6 (3) the President should instruct the United

7 States delegation to the 54th annual meeting of the

8 International Whaling Commission to support only

9 those resolutions proposing the designation of any

10 new whale sanctuaries that have specific, scientif11 ically defensible goals, that have a long-term re12 search component to monitor the progress toward

13 meeting the goals of the sanctuary, and that are

14 based on guidelines and criteria developed by the

15 Scientific Committee of the International Whaling

16 Commission; and

17 (4) the United States should support prompt

18 completion by the International Whaling Commis19 sion of all outstanding portions of a revised manage20 ment scheme.

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