Environmental, government reps. plead Obama uphold ban against commercial whaling

Carol Forsloff - Humane Society International and The Humane Society of the United States have stepped to the plate along with environmental groups and 67 members of Congress to protest overturning the ban on commerical whaling.

The International Whaling Commission is scheduled to begin its meeting on June 21.

There has been outrage about the possibility that President Barack Obama will fall in line behind those who advocate resuming commercial whaling.

67 members of Congress have asked Obama to require the U.S. delegation to the IWC to uphold the ban on commercial whaling.  The letter was delivered last Thursday.

The worldwide ban on commercial whaling has been in place for more than twenty years, according to the Humane Society.  It is now in serious danger of being overturned.

At the meeting beginning Monday, the IWC will be deciding whether or not to resume commercial whaling in exchange for receiving promises by three whaling nations to reduce the number of whales killed annually.

The proposal to be presented for a vote at the IWC meeting in Agadir, Moracco, from June 21-25 would, according to the recitation of its outlines by the Humane Society:

• "legitimize the rogue whaling of three countries that have ignored the ban and the will of the international community;

• effectively overturn the moratorium;


• stimulate the demand for whale products;


• approve commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary;


• fail to close the loopholes in the whaling convention; and


• require the United States to pay for regulating commercial whaling."

For the past few years a number of members of the IWC, together with the United States, have been working on a compromise package, which this is portrayed to be.

IWC member countries adopted the ban on commercial whaling in 1982 and began its implementation in 1986.  It was put together to protect whales from extinction after many years of wanton slaughter.  It was a major decision reached as a result of the leadership set by the United States at the time.

The letter, led by Rep. Bordallo, chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Chairwoman, reads in part: "The fact that Japan, Iceland and Norway have continued whaling during the international moratorium – the former under the guise of scientific research that has been disavowed by the scientific community and the latter two continuing to whale commercially under an objection – should not be rewarded. "

Bordallo said, "I am deeply skeptical that any proposal developed by the International Whaling Commission to reduce the number of whales killed could be sufficiently rigorous to merit overturning the 1986 commercial whaling moratorium. Further, any such proposal is at odds with the expressed aspirations of the American people. Commercial whaling is inherently cruel and completely unnecessary in the 21st century."

Kitty Block, vice president of Humane Society International, said, "I hope the administration hears the pleas of the American people in time to change course and once again be a leader in upholding  the ban and seeking an end to all commercial whaling."