IV
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 180
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should reaffirm
its opposition to any commercial and lethal scientific whaling and take
significant and demonstrable actions, including at the International Whal-
ing Commission and meetings of the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species, to provide protection for and conservation of
the world’s whale populations and to prevent trade in whale meat.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 28, 2001
Mr. DELAHUNT (for himself, Mr. GILCHREST, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of Cali-
fornia, and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) submitted the following concurrent
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Rela-
tions
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States
should reaffirm its opposition to any commercial and
lethal scientific whaling and take significant and demon-
strable actions, including at the International Whaling
Commission and meetings of the Convention on Inter-
national Trade in Endangered Species, to provide protec-
tion for and conservation of the world’s whale popu-
lations and to prevent trade in whale meat.
Whereas the International Whaling Commission has adopted
a moratorium on commercial whaling, effective in 1986,
HCON 180 IH
for the protection and conservation of the world’s whale
populations;
Whereas the United States was a world leader in establishing
the moratorium on commercial whaling and continues to
support the International Whaling Commission as the ap-
propriate forum for deciding necessary protection meas-
ures for whales;
Whereas new dangers, such as pollution, climate change and
depletion of krill and other food resources, have emerged
that threaten the future of whale populations worldwide;
Whereas certain nations have ignored the Commission’s mor-
atorium and engaged in unauthorized commercial whaling
and lethal scientific whaling;
Whereas more than 21,000 whales have been killed for com-
mercial and scientific purposes since the moratorium took
effect, and each year the number of whales killed in-
creases;
Whereas the United States fully supported the successful
adoption by the International Whaling Commission of
resolutions designed to establish criteria for reviewing
proposals to take whales under scientific research permits
during the commercial whaling moratorium;
Whereas the United States has supported all resolutions
adopted by the International Whaling Commission re-
questing nations engaged in research whaling that fails
to meet the criteria established by the Commission to re-
frain from carrying out such whaling activities;
Whereas Japan, one year after the commercial whaling mora-
torium came into force, commenced a lethal scientific
whaling program whose apparent purpose was to avoid
Japan’s compliance with the moratorium;
HCON 180 IH
Whereas Japan continues to expand this program, most re-
cently to include factory-ship whaling for sperm and
Bryde’s whales for the purpose of gathering information
that can readily be obtained by non-lethal means, and
which the Commission has by resolution criticized as
being unnecessary for management purposes;
Whereas on August 21, 2000, 15 nations sent a demarche to
the Government of Japan protesting Japan’s commercial
whaling activities disguised as scientific whaling, and this
international protest has had no effect on Japan’s whal-
ing activities;
Whereas Norway continues to engage in commercial whaling
despite the moratorium and plans to kill 549 whales in
2001;
Whereas on January 16, 2001, Norway announced its inten-
tion to begin exporting whale meat to Japan, Iceland and
Peru, contrary to the ban on trade in endangered and
threatened species under the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species (CITES);
Whereas studies have shown that trade in whale products
permits the concealment of illegal exploitation of endan-
gered species of whales and creates economic incentives
to increase whaling;
Whereas the United States has invoked the Pelly Amendment
to the Fisherman’s Protective Act of 1967 against Japan
and Norway on eight separate occasions for undermining
the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commis-
sion;
Whereas the latest scientific information indicates that some
whale populations have accumulated high levels of pollut-
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ants and these contaminants could threaten the recovery
of whales;
Whereas the United States has fully supported the creation
of the International Whaling Commission’s South Pacific
sanctuary to conserve whale populations; and
Whereas the American people value the world’s whale popu-
lations and strongly oppose all commercial and lethal sci-
entific whaling: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
the United States reaffirms its commitment to
opposing any commercial and lethal scientific whal-
ing and supporting the expansion of whale sanc-
tuaries;
the President should use all available diplomatic
channels to convey the United States’ opposition to
commercial whaling activities and lethal scientific
whaling;
at the 53rd meeting of the International Whal-
ing Commission in London, the United States should
strongly oppose any effort to approve the resumption
of commercial whaling;
at the 12th Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species, the United States should oppose all efforts
to downlist any threatened or endangered whale pop-
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ulation and to reopen international trade in whale
meat; and
given the current status of most whale popu-
lations, the President should consider all other ac-
tions, including bilateral negotiations and sanctions,
to eliminate all commercial and lethal scientific
whaling and prevent any trade in whale meat.
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