[House Document 113-101]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
113th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 113-101
NOTIFICATION TO THE CONGRESS CONSISTENT WITH SUBSECTION (b) OF THE
PELLY AMENDMENT
__________
MESSAGE
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
transmitting
A REPORT REGARDING CERTIFICATION BY THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE THAT
ICELAND HAS CONDUCTED WHALING ACTIVITIES THAT DIMINISH THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF A CONSERVATION PROGRAM OF THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING
COMMISSION (IWC), PURSUANT TO 22 U.S.C. 1978(b)
April 1, 2014.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the
Committees on Foreign Affairs and Natural Resources, and ordered to be
printed
To the Congress of the United States:
On January 31, 2014, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell
certified under section 8 of the Fisherman's Protective Act of
1967 (the ``Pelly Amendment'') (22 U.S.C. 1978), that nationals
of Iceland are conducting trade in whale meat and products that
diminishes the effectiveness of the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
This message constitutes my notification to the Congress
consistent with subsection (b) of the Pelly Amendment.
This is the third certification by United States Government
agencies of Iceland for their continued whaling activities. In
2004, Secretary of Commerce Donald L. Evans made a
certification regarding Iceland under the Pelly Amendment
because its scientific whaling program diminished the
effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
When Iceland resumed commercial whaling in 2006, Secretary of
Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez continued Iceland's certification.
In 2011, Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke increased actions to
be taken by members of the Cabinet, Federal departments and
agencies, and U.S. delegations by again certifying Iceland for
diminishing the effectiveness of the IWC.
A single Icelandic company, Hvalur hf, conducts fin
whaling. Iceland does not consume most of these fin whales;
rather, they are exported, mainly to Japan. Iceland's
commercial harvest of fin whales escalated dramatically in 2009
and 2010, was suspended in 2011 and 2012 due to difficulties in
the Japanese market after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and
resumed in 2013. Between 1987 and 2008, Iceland hunted a total
of 7 fin whales. In 2009, Iceland hunted 125 fin whales,
followed by 148 in 2010, zero in the years 2011-2012, and 134
fin whales in 2013. On December 16, 2013, Iceland set its 2014-
2019 fin whale quota at 154 fin whales per year, an increase in
its previous yearly whaling quota. According to the IWC, a
harvest of 46 fin whales in the North Atlantic is biologically
sustainable.
Iceland's actions jeopardize the survival of the fin whale,
which is listed in CITES among the species most threatened with
extinction, and they undermine multilateral efforts to ensure
greater worldwide protection for whales. Specifically,
Iceland's continued commercial whaling and recent trade in
whale products diminish the effectiveness of CITES because: (1)
Iceland's commercial harvest of fin whales undermines the goal
of CITES to ensure that international trade in species of
animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the
wild; and (2) Iceland's current fin whale harvest and quota
exceeds catch levels that the IWC's scientific body advised
were sustainable.
In her letter of January 31, 2014, Secretary Jewell
expressed her concern for Iceland's actions, and I share these
concerns. Just as the United States made the transition from a
commercial whaling nation to a whale watching nation, we must
enhance our engagement to facilitate this change by Iceland.
To ensure that this issue continues to receive the highest
level of attention, I have directed: (1) relevant U.S. agencies
to raise concerns with Iceland's trade in whale parts and
products in appropriate CITES fora and processes, and, in
consultation with other international actors, to seek
additional measures to reduce such trade and enhance the
effectiveness of CITES; (2) relevant senior Administration
officials and U.S. delegations meeting with Icelandic officials
to raise U.S. objections to commercial whaling and Iceland's
ongoing trade in fin whale parts and products and to urge a
halt to such action, including immediate notification of this
position to the Government of Iceland; (3) the Department of
State and other relevant agencies to encourage Iceland to
develop and expand measures that increase economic
opportunities for the nonlethal uses of whales in Iceland, such
as responsible whale watching activities and educational and
scientific research activities that contribute to the
conservation of whales; (4) the Department of State to re-
examine bilateral cooperation projects, and where appropriate,
to base U.S. cooperation with Iceland on the Icelandic
government changing its whaling policy, abiding by the IWC
moratorium on commercial whaling, and not engaging in trade in
whale parts and products in a manner that diminishes the
effectiveness of CITES; (5) the Department of State to inform
the Government of Iceland that the United States will continue
to monitor the activities of Icelandic companies that engage in
commercial whaling and international trade in whale parts and
products; (6) Cabinet secretaries and other senior
Administration officials to evaluate the appropriateness of
visits to Iceland in light of Iceland's resumption of fin
whaling and ongoing trade in fin whale parts and products; (7)
relevant departments and agencies to examine other options for
responding to continued whaling by Iceland; and (8) all
relevant departments and agencies to report on their actions,
within 6 months of certification, and any updates as needed
beyond, through the Departments of State and the Interior. In
addition, previous Pelly certifications of Iceland, and the
direction to take actions pursuant to those certifications,
remain in effect. I concur with the recommendation, as
presented by the Secretary of the Interior, to pursue the use
of non-trade measures and that the actions outlined above are
the appropriate course of action to address this issue.
Accordingly, I am not directing the Secretary of the Treasury
to impose trade measures on Icelandic products for the whaling
activities that led to the certification by the Secretary of
the Interior.
The Departments of State, Commerce, and the Interior will
continue to monitor and encourage Iceland to revise its
policies regarding commercial whaling. Further, within 6
months, I have directed relevant departments and agencies to
report to me through the Departments of State, Commerce, and
the Interior on their actions. I believe that continuing focus
on Icelandic whaling activities is needed to encourage Iceland
to halt commercial whaling and support international
conservation efforts.
Barack Obama.
The White House, April 1, 2014.