[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 7] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 9171] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]INTRODUCTION OF A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS THAT THE UNITED STATES SHOULD USE ALL APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO END COMMERCIAL WHALING ______ HON. NICK J. RAHALL II of west virginia in the house of representatives Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing a resolution expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States, through the International Whaling Commission, IWC, should use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling in all of its existing or potential forms and seek to strengthen whale conservation and management measures. Whales cannot be humanely killed, according to Dr. Peter Singer, a professor of bioethics at Princeton University. As Dr. Singer said, causing suffering to innocent beings, without an extremely weighty reason for doing so, is wrong. Beyond subsistence needs, it is difficult to think of a reason weighty enough to cause such suffering to one of God's most magnificent creatures. As such, the purpose of my resolution is to send a strong message to the Administration as it prepares for the June 2008 meeting of the International Whaling Commission, IWC, in Santiago. The message is simple: now is not the time to capitulate to calls to weaken or undermine the IWC ban on commercial whaling. The American people care deeply about protecting whales, and the U.S. should continue to be an international leader in whale conservation. Established in 1946, the IWC's initial focus was the allocation of whaling quotas among member countries. Unfortunately, whalers from many countries routinely exceeded these quotas, and whale populations plummeted. In response, the IWC instituted a moratorium on the commercial killing of whales in 1986. Despite this moratorium, significant whaling has continued. Norway officially objected to the moratorium and resumed commercial whaling in 1993. Japan and Iceland have been using a provision in the Convention-- which allows countries to issue themselves permits for ``scientific whaling''--to kill whales under the guise of science, and later sell the meat commercially. More than 11,000 whales have been reportedly killed in lethal scientific whaling programs since the adoption of the commercial whaling moratorium, even though the IWC Scientific Committee has repeatedly stated that such lethal takes are not necessary for scientific research. At the same time, Japan is calling for the IWC to once again sanction commercial whaling in the form of ``coastal'' whaling, ``community'' whaling, or some other iteration of small-scale commercial whaling that will effectively eviscerate the moratorium. In contrast, the anti-whaling nations want the IWC to look to the future--a future in which whales are protected and their nonlethal use is promoted. With its 75-plus members almost evenly divided between anti- and pro-whaling, it is imperative that the U.S. make clear its strong stand against the resumption of any form of commercial whaling, including community whaling, and that we press for the end of ``scientific'' whaling that is anything but scientific. Therefore, the resolution I am introducing today calls on the U.S. delegation to the IWC to remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling in all its forms. The resolution urges the U.S. to not only initiate or support efforts to oppose the unnecessary lethal taking of whales for scientific purposes, but also seek to end the sale of meat and blubber from whales killed for scientific research in order to remove this perverse incentive. The resolution also calls on the U.S. to reject proposals that would weaken or lift the moratorium on commercial whaling by creating a new category of whaling deceptively called coastal or community whaling. It is more critical than ever that the U.S. remain firmly opposed to any proposals to resume even a limited level of commercial whaling and to maintain its leadership role in shaping global whale conservation policies through the IWC. The administration must not undo more than 20 years of whale conservation and capitulate to Japan's demand for a sanctioned resumption of coastal commercial whaling. Instead, the U.S. should again demonstrate leadership in whale conservation and promote nonlethal uses of whales--such as whale watching--a far more benign and profitable venture. Worldwide, tourists spend an estimated $1.5 billion on whale watching each year. Whales constitute a vital component of the world's marine ecosystems and are some of the largest and most intelligent mammals on Earth. Conserving them requires us to uphold strong international agreements and maintain an unwavering commitment to protecting these species from killing for commercial gain. I thank my colleagues for cosponsoring this resolution, and I urge all Members to support it. ____________________