‘‘(5) IMPORTATION RESTRICTIONS.—In consid-
ering whether to direct the Secretary of Treasury to 
take action pursuant to section 1978(a)(4) of title 
22, United States Code, with respect to any country 
certified under paragraph (2), the President may di-
rect the Secretary of the Treasury to prohibit the 
importation into the United States of any products 
from the offending country consistent with section 
1978(a)(4) of title 22, United States Code, or to 
take any other action sanctioned by the World Trade 
Organization (as defined at 19 U.S.C. 3501(8)) or 
the multilateral trade agreements (as defined at 19 
U.S.C. 3501(4)). 
‘‘(e) CONSERVATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE 
UNITED STATES AND CANADA.— 
‘‘(1) NEGOTIATIONS.—Within 180 days after 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of State, shall com-
mence negotiations with the Government of Canada 
on a North Atlantic Whale Conservation Agreement 
with the goal of concluding an Agreement within 18 
months. The purpose of such an agreement shall be 
to— 
‘‘(A) promote scientific research and un-
derstanding of North Atlantic whales, particu-
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larly the endangered North Atlantic right 
whale; 
‘‘(B) identify, coordinate, and implement 
independent and complimentary measures nec-
essary to reduce serious injuries and mortalities 
to whales from vessel strikes and entanglements 
in fishing gear; 
‘‘(C) assist in the enforcement of both 
country’s laws and regulations concerning 
North Atlantic right whale conservation; and 
‘‘(D) identify actions that could be taken 
to further protect the North Atlantic right 
whale. 
‘‘(2) GOVERNMENT COOPERATION REQUIRED.— 
The Agreement shall require both governments to 
cooperate in— 
‘‘(A) the identification and coordination of 
essential scientific research needed to achieve 
the goals of the Agreement; 
‘‘(B) identifying actions needed to reduce 
serious injuries and mortalities to whales, espe-
cially North Atlantic right whales, from vessel 
strikes; and 
‘‘(C) developing methods to reduce injuries 
and mortalities to whales, especially North At-
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lantic right whales, from entanglement in fish-
ing gear, including gear marking schemes and 
coordinated disentanglement activities. 
‘‘(3) 
AGREEMENT
SPECIFICATIONS.—The 
Agreement shall require each party to make rec-
ommendations to their respective governments on 
the results of the consultations and actions or activi-
ties that need to be taken to protect whales, espe-
cially North Atlantic right whales. The Agreement 
shall include a commitment by each party to imple-
ment the recommendations resulting from the con-
sultations, to the extent allowed by and consistent 
with national laws and the national recovery plans 
for North Atlantic right whales. The Agreement may 
be expanded to include other shared whale stocks in 
the Pacific Ocean. 
‘‘(4) CONSULTATION REQUIRED.—Prior to, and 
during negotiations of the Agreement, the Secretary 
shall consult with the Atlantic Large Whale Take 
Reduction Team, the Marine Mammal Commission, 
the New England Fishery Management Council, the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and 
other whale scientists to seek their advice on the 
Agreement. 
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‘‘(5) PROGRESS REPORT.—The Secretary shall 
submit a report to the Congress describing the re-
sults of the negotiations, the progress made by both 
governments in implementing such results or rec-
ommendations and recommendations for changes in 
law needed to implement the results, and rec-
ommendations of the Agreement. 
‘‘(f) OCEAN NOISE.—The Secretary, together with 
the Secretary of State, shall support and encourage efforts 
of international and intergovernmental organizations to 
study and reduce the adverse effects of anthropogenic 
noise on whales and other marine life, recognizing the im-
portance of military readiness activities which shall, so far 
as is reasonable and practicable, be conducted in a manner 
consistent with those efforts. 
‘‘(g) INTERNATIONAL MARINE PROTECTED AREA 
NETWORKS.— 
‘‘(1) IMA DEVELOPMENT.—The Secretary shall 
develop and support international mechanisms, pro-
tocols, and action plans to identify and address 
sources of threats to the world’s whales and other 
cetaceans and to reduce, with a goal to eliminate, 
such threats through [the establishment] of new 
International Marine Protected Areas and IMA net-
works. 
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‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary’s efforts 
in paragraph (1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) a review of existing national and 
international marine protected areas and net-
works and an evaluation of how to improve 
their effectiveness, specifically with reference to 
protection of whales and the management of 
human uses within these areas; and 
‘‘(B) an identification and mapping of ad-
ditional important whale habitats to maximize 
the protection of migratory destinations and 
corridors through IMPAs. 
‘‘(3) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to 
the Congress a biannual report describing actions 
taken to fulfill the purposes of this subsection. 
‘‘SEC. 4. WHALE RESEARCH. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF RESEARCH INITIATIVES.— 
The Secretary shall establish comprehensive research ini-
tiatives to improve knowledge about the world’s whales in 
order to enhance whale conservation efforts. Such initia-
tives shall include— 
‘‘(1) the monitoring of whale mortality, habitat 
use, reproduction, and feeding patterns; 
‘‘(2) the collection of information on whale 
health and causes of deaths obtainable through 
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