For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 22, 2004
Message to the Congress of the United States
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
On June 16, 2004, Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans certified
under section 8 of the Fisherman's Protective Act of 1967, as amended
(the "Pelly Amendment") (22 U.S.C. 1978), that Iceland has conducted
whaling activities that diminish the effectiveness of the International
Whaling Commission (IWC) conservation program. This message
constitutes my report to the Congress consistent with subsection (b) of
the Pelly Amendment.
The certification of the Secretary of Commerce is the first against
Iceland for its lethal research whaling program. In 2003, Iceland
announced that it would begin a lethal research whaling program and
planned to take 250 minke, fin, and sei whales for research purposes.
The United States expressed strong opposition to Iceland's decision, in
keeping with our longstanding policy against lethal research whaling.
Iceland's proposal was criticized at the June 2003 IWC Annual Meeting
by a majority of members of the IWC Scientific Committee, and the IWC
passed a resolution that urged Iceland not to commence this program.
In addition, the United States, along with 22 other nations, issued a
joint protest asking Iceland to halt the program immediately. The
United States believes the Icelandic research whaling program is of
questionable scientific validity. Scientific data relevant to the
management of whale stocks can be collected by non-lethal techniques.
Since Iceland's 2003 announcement, Iceland reduced its proposed take to
38 minke whales and in implementing its lethal research program, killed
36 whales last year. For this year, Iceland has proposed taking 25
minke whales. The United States welcomes this decision to reduce the
take and to limit it to minke whales, and we appreciate Iceland's
constructive work with the United States at the IWC on a variety of
whaling issues. These adjustments, however, do not change our
assessment that Iceland's lethal research whaling program is of
questionable scientific validity and diminishes the effectiveness of
the IWC's conservation program.
In his letter of June 16, 2004, Secretary Evans expressed his
concern for these actions, and I share these concerns. I also concur
in his recommendation that the use of trade sanctions is not the course
of action needed to resolve our current differences with Iceland over
research whaling activities. Accordingly, I am not directing the
Secretary of the Treasury to impose trade sanctions on Icelandic
products for the whaling activities that led to certification by the
Secretary of Commerce. However, to ensure that this issue continues to
receive the highest level of attention, I am directing U.S. delegations
attending future bilateral meetings with Iceland regarding whaling
issues to raise our concerns and seek ways to halt these whaling
actions. I am also directing the Secretaries of State and Commerce to
keep this situation under close review and to continue to work with
Iceland to encourage it to cease its lethal scientific research whaling
activities. I believe these diplomatic efforts hold the most promise
of effecting change in Iceland's research whaling program, and do not
believe that imposing import prohibitions would further our
objectives.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
June 22, 2004.
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