June 3, 2008 - Issue: Vol. 154, No. 90 — Daily Edition110th Congress (2007 - 2008) - 2nd Session

[Pages S4973-S4974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 86--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT 
THE UNITED STATES, THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION, SHOULD 
USE ALL APPROPRIATION MEASURES TO END COMMERCIAL WHALING IN ALL OF ITS 
    FORMS AND SEEK TO STRENGTHEN MEASURES TO CONSERVE WHALE SPECIES

  Mr. KERRY (for himself and Mrs. Boxer) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 86

       Whereas 78 countries have adopted the International 
     Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, signed at 
     Washington December 2, 1946 (TIAS 1849) (in this preamble 
     referred to as the ``Convention''), which established the 
     International Whaling Commission (in this preamble referred 
     to as the ``Commission'') to provide for the conservation of 
     whale stocks;
       Whereas the Commission has adopted a moratorium on 
     commercial whaling in order to conserve and promote the 
     recovery of whale stocks, many of which had been hunted to 
     near extinction by the whaling industry;
       Whereas the United States was instrumental in the adoption 
     of the moratorium and has led international efforts to 
     address the threat posed by commercial whaling for more than 
     3 decades;

[[Page S4974]]

       Whereas, despite the moratorium, 3 countries that are 
     parties to the Convention continue to kill whales for 
     financial gain, disregarding the protests of other parties;
       Whereas those 3 countries have killed more than 25,000 
     whales since the moratorium entered into force, including 
     more than 11,000 whales killed under the guise of scientific 
     research;
       Whereas whaling conducted for scientific purposes has been 
     found to be unnecessary by the majority of the world's 
     cetacean scientists because nonlethal research alternatives 
     exist;
       Whereas the parties to the Convention have adopted numerous 
     resolutions opposing and calling for an end to so-called 
     scientific whaling, most recently in 2007 at the annual 
     Commission meeting in Anchorage, Alaska;
       Whereas commercial whaling in any form, including special 
     permit whaling and any coastal or community-based whaling, 
     undermines the conservation mandate of the Convention and 
     impairs the Commission's ability to function effectively;
       Whereas all coastal whaling is commercial, unless conducted 
     under the aboriginal exemption to the moratorium on 
     commercial whaling; and
       Whereas the majority of the people of the United States 
     oppose the killing of whales for commercial purposes and 
     expect the United States to use all available means to end 
     such killing: Now, therefore, be it
         Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the United 
     States, through the International Whaling Commission, 
     should--
         (1) use all appropriate measures to end commercial 
     whaling in any form, including so-called scientific whaling;
         (2) oppose any initiative that would result in any new, 
     Commission-sanctioned coastal or community-based whale 
     hunting, even if the whale hunting is portrayed as 
     noncommercial and including any commercial whaling by coastal 
     communities that does not qualify as aboriginal subsistence 
     whaling; and
         (3) seek to strengthen conservation and management 
     measures to facilitate the conservation of whale species.

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