IV
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 193
To express the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of Commerce and
the Secretary of the Interior should direct the representatives of their
departments who are members of the United States delegation to the
International Whaling Commission to 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
JULY 23, 2001
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska submitted the following concurrent resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To express the sense of the Congress that the Secretary
of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior should
direct the representatives of their departments who are
members of the United States delegation to the Inter-
national Whaling Commission to remain diligent in their
efforts to protect the ability of Native people of the
United States, who have been issued quotas by the Inter-
national Whaling Commission, to continue to legally har-
vest whales, and for other purposes.
Whereas the Department of Commerce has the authority and
the expertise for the conservation and management of liv-
ing marine resources;
•HCON 193 IH
Whereas the Department of Commerce has the scientific ex-
pertise to conserve and manage whale species and is the
executive department with the responsibility for gathering
scientific information on the status and health of whale
populations;
Whereas the Department of the Interior, through the Bureau
of Indian Affairs, has the mission to fulfill its trust re-
sponsibilities and promote self-determination on behalf of
tribal governments, Indians, and Alaska Natives;
Whereas many Alaska Natives rely on whales to provide sus-
tenance and to meet their subsistence and cultural needs;
Whereas the International Whaling Commission allocates
quotas for the Alaska Native harvest of bowhead whales;
Whereas a representative of the Department of Commerce is
the Commissioner for the United States delegation to the
International Whaling Commission;
Whereas sound science should guide the decisions of the
United States delegation in negotiating positions on reso-
lutions before the International Whaling Commission;
Whereas the concept of marine protected areas has been a
topic of much debate in the United States; and
Whereas the Secretary of Commerce currently uses scientific
information to determine how marine protected areas
should be developed, implemented, and monitored, and
uses a transparent public process to designate marine
protected areas in the United States: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—
•HCON 193 IH
(1) the Secretary of Commerce and the Sec-
retary of the Interior should direct the representa-
tives of their departments who are members of the
United States delegation to the International Whal-
ing Commission to remain diligent in their efforts to
protect the ability of Native people of the United
States who have been issued quotas by the Inter-
national Whaling Commission to continue to legally
harvest whales;
(2) the Secretary of Commerce and the Sec-
retary of the Interior should instruct their represent-
atives to the United States delegation of the 53d an-
nual meeting of the International Whaling Commis-
sion to support positions that are based on sound
science;
(3) the Secretary of Commerce and the Sec-
retary of the Interior should instruct their represent-
atives to the United States delegation of the 53d an-
nual meeting of the International Whaling Commis-
sion to oppose designation of the South Pacific
Sanctuary or any other large-scale sanctuary until
such time as the Scientific Committee of the Inter-
national Whaling Commission issues scientific guide-
lines and criteria for the creation of sanctuaries, de-
velops protocols for the monitoring of such sanc-
•HCON 193 IH
tuaries, and develops a research program to deter-
mine whether sanctuaries meet the goals for which
they were created; and
(4) the Secretary of Commerce and the Sec-
retary of the Interior should instruct their represent-
atives to the United States delegation of the 53d an-
nual meeting of the International Whaling Commis-
sion to support speedy completion of any remaining
portions of the Revised Management Scheme.
Æ