[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 121 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 121

 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the policy of the United 
    States at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the International Whaling 
                              Commission.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 29, 2001

Mr. Kerry (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Hollings, Mr. McCain, Mr. Biden, 
Mr. Sarbanes, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Feingold) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the policy of the United 
    States at the 53rd 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 conserve and protect whale 
        stocks;
Whereas in 1946 the nations of the world adopted the International Convention 
        for the Regulation of Whaling, which established the International 
        Whaling Commission to provide for the proper conservation of the whale 
        stocks;
Whereas the Commission adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982 in 
        order to conserve and promote the recovery of the whale stocks;
Whereas the Commission has designated the Indian Ocean and the ocean waters 
        around Antarctica as whale sanctuaries to further enhance the recovery 
        of whale stocks;
Whereas many nations of the world have designated waters under their 
        jurisdiction as whale sanctuaries where commercial whaling is 
        prohibited, and additional regional whale sanctuaries have been proposed 
        by nations that are members of the Commission;
Whereas several member nations of the Commission have taken reservations to the 
        Commission's moratorium on commercial whaling and 1 member nation is 
        currently conducting commercial whaling operations in spite of the 
        moratorium and the protests of other nations;
Whereas the Commission has adopted several resolutions at recent meetings asking 
        member nations to abandon plans to initiate or continue commercial 
        whaling activities conducted under reservation to the moratorium;
Whereas another member nation of the Commission has taken a reservation to the 
        Commission's Southern Ocean Sanctuary and continues to conduct 
        unnecessary lethal scientific whaling in the waters of that sanctuary;
Whereas the Commission's Scientific Committee has repeatedly expressed serious 
        concerns about the scientific need for such lethal whaling;
Whereas scientific information on whales can readily be obtained through non-
        lethal means;
Whereas the lethal take of whales under reservations to the Commission's 
        policies have 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 meat may be 
        originating in one of the member nations of the Commission; and
Whereas engaging in unauthorized commercial whaling and lethal scientific 
        whaling undermines the conservation program of the Commission: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the International Whaling 
        Commission the United States should--
                    (A) remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling;
                    (B) initiate and support efforts to ensure that all 
                activities conducted under reservations to the 
                Commission's moratorium or sanctuaries are ceased;
                    (C) oppose the lethal taking of whales for 
                scientific purposes unless such lethal taking is 
                specifically authorized by the Scientific Committee of 
                the Commission;
                    (D) seek the Commission's support for specific 
                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 commercial whaling is prohibited;
            (2) at the 12th Conference of the Parties to the Convention 
        on International Trade in Endangered Species, the United States 
        should oppose all efforts to reopen international trade in 
        whale meat or downlist any whale population; and
            (3) the United States should make full use of all 
        appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, relevant international laws 
        and agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms to implement 
        the goals set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2).
                                 <all>