Cantwell Introduces Senate Resolution to Deter Efforts to Resume Commercial Whaling
20 Senators Cosponsor Cantwell’s Bipartisan Resolution Introduced Prior to Upcoming International Whaling Commission Meeting
WASHINGTON, DC – Monday, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), along with 19 cosponsors, introduced a Senate resolution urging the U.S. Delegation to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to maintain strong opposition to commercial and lethal scientific whaling.
“So-called scientific whaling shouldn’t be used as a loophole for commercial exploitation of these wonderful animals,” said Cantwell. “The international community needs to stand firm in opposing attempts to expand whaling to endangered species.”
The IWC’s annual meeting will take place in Saint Kitts this year from June 16 to June 20 amidst simmering controversy over Japan’s desire to drastically step up its lethal “scientific whaling” program. Although the IWC has maintained a moratorium on commercial whaling since 1982, Japan and Iceland have consistently exploited a loophole in the Convention that allows lethal scientific whaling and eventual sale of whale meat and blubber on the commercial market. Japan plans to nearly double its take of minke whales next year and also extend its program to the IWC’s Southern Ocean Sanctuary and target endangered sei, sperm, fin, and humpback whales.
[The full text of Cantwell’s introductory statement follows below]
As Ranking Member of the Fisheries and Coast Guard Subcommittee of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, I am pleased to join the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee, Senator Snowe, in submitting a resolution regarding the policy of the United States at the upcoming 58th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). I wish to also thank my Senate colleagues Mr. Kerry, Ms. Dole, Ms. Boxer, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Reed, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. McCain, Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Collins, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Dodd, Ms. Feinstein, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Levin, Mr. Biden, Mr. Dayton, Mr. Jeffords, and Ms. Landrieu for co-sponsoring as well.
The Resolution we introduce today comes at a time when the United States and other like-minded nations are facing new and intensifying challenges within the IWC to adopt policies detrimental to our stated opposition to commercial and lethal scientific whaling.
Mr. President, in 1982, due to the severe impacts of whaling on the populations of large whale species, the IWC adopted an indefinite moratorium on all commercial whaling. Although Japan, Iceland, Norway and other countries in favor of commercial whaling do not yet have the necessary three-quarters majority on the IWC to lift the moratorium, for the first time they may have the simple majority needed to control procedure, and to adopt resolutions contrary to the long-standing positions of the IWC. Policies that the U.S. has opposed in the past, such as secret ballots and statements supporting lethal scientific whaling, could be adopted under a simple majority.
As Japan and Iceland have gained support for their pro-whaling position within the IWC, they have become even more aggressive in their utilization of a provision in the Convention that allows countries to issue themselves permits for “scientific whaling”. These permits are currently being used to justify killing whales in the name of science and then later selling the meat commercially. More than 9,150 whales have been killed in lethal scientific whaling programs since the adoption of the commercial whaling moratorium, and Japan has plans for a major new program that would more than double its takes of minke whales and expand such whaling to Byrde’s, sei, fin, sperm and humpback whales. Furthermore, Japan plans to hunt in the Commission’s designated Southern Ocean Sanctuary, an area set aside off Antarctica to facilitate whale conservation and recovery.
The IWC has repeatedly stated that such lethal takes are not necessary for scientific research. Sei, sperm, humpback, and fin whales are all endangered species and hunting these species undermines the IWC’s whale conservation program.
As was the case last year, discussions are ongoing in the IWC to establish a framework, or “revised management scheme” (RMS) for any future commercial whaling, should it ever occur. In this resolution we urge the U.S. delegation to the IWC to insist that any RMS negotiations are distinct from decisions on whether to lift the moratorium on commercial whaling, and that an RMS contain provisions on accountability, transparency, and compliance. As part of any RMS language, lethal scientific whaling must immediately cease upon the commencement of any commercial whaling. The resolution also recognizes the rights of indigenous people to whale for subsistence purposes, and directs the U.S. delegation to reject any attempts to compromise or equate such rights to commercial whaling.
I’d like to once more thank Chairwoman Snowe for her collaboration on this Resolution. I will continue to work with my colleagues on this issue to ensure that whales are protected under the International Whaling Commission.
###
Next Article Previous Article
