IV
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. RES. 425
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the policy
of the United States at the 50th Annual meeting of the International
Whaling Commission.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 7, 1998
Mr. METCALF submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on International Relations
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regard-
ing the policy of the United States at the 50th Annual
meeting of the International Whaling Commission.
Whereas whales have very low reproductive rates, making
whale populations extremely vulnerable to pressure from
commercial whaling;
Whereas whales migrate throughout the world’s oceans and
international cooperation is required to successfully con-
serve and protect whale stocks;
Whereas in 1946 the nations of the world adopted the Inter-
national Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, which
established the International Whaling Commission to pro-
vide for the proper conservation of whale stocks;
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Whereas the Commission adopted a moratorium on commer-
cial whaling in 1982 in order to conserve and promote
the recovery of whale stocks;
Whereas the Commission has designated the Indian Ocean
and the ocean waters around Antarctica as whale sanc-
tuaries to further enhance the recovery of whale stocks;
Whereas many nations of the world have designated waters
under their jurisdiction as whale sanctuaries where the
commercial killing of whales is prohibited, and additional
regional whale sanctuaries have been proposed by nations
that are members of the Commission;
Whereas 2 member nations of the Commission have taken a
reservation to the Commission’s moratorium on commer-
cial whaling and have recently resumed commercial whal-
ing operations in spite of the moratorium and the pro-
tests of other nations;
Whereas another member nation of the Commission has
taken a reservation to the Commission’s Southern Ocean
Sanctuary and continues to conduct lethal scientific whal-
ing in the waters of that sanctuary;
Whereas the Commission’s scientific committee has repeat-
edly expressed serious concerns about the scientific need
for such lethal whaling;
Whereas the lethal take of whales under reservations to the
Commission’s policies has been increasing annually;
Whereas there continue to be indications that whale meat is
being traded on the international market despite a ban
on such trade under the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and that the
meat may be originating in one of the member nations
of the Commission; and
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Whereas 1998 is the International Year of the Ocean and the
Commission plays a leading role in global efforts to im-
prove the state of the world’s oceans: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that—
(1) at the 50th annual meeting of the Inter-
national Whaling Commission in Oman the United
States should—
(A) remain firmly opposed to any resump-
tion of commercial whaling;
(B) initiate and support efforts at the
Commission to ensure that all activities con-
ducted under reservations to the Commission’s
moratorium or whale sanctuaries are ceased;
(C) oppose the lethal taking of whales for
scientific purposes unless such lethal taking is
specifically authorized by the scientific commit-
tee of the Commission;
(D) seek the Commission’s support for spe-
cific efforts by member nations to end illegal
trade in whale meat; and
(E) support the permanent protection of
whale populations through the establishment of
whale sanctuaries in which the commercial kill-
ing of whales is prohibited; and
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(2) make full use of all appropriate diplomatic
mechanisms, relevant international laws and agree-
ments, and other appropriate mechanisms to imple-
ment the goals set forth in paragraph (1).
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