Congress Passes Resolution to Strengthen IWC Involvement, Retain Moratorium on Commercial...

Congress Passes Resolution to Strengthen IWC Involvement, Retain Moratorium on
Commercial Whaling

WASHINGTON, June 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congress voted late yesterday
to pass House Concurrent Resolution 350, calling on the U.S. to strengthen its
efforts through the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to protect whale
species and to help end commercial whaling as practiced by Japan, Norway and
Iceland. The 60th meeting of the IWC is scheduled for June 23-27 in Santiago,
Chile.

"We welcome this resolution. The American people and their elected leaders
clearly want the U.S. to help end commercial whaling, and this Congressional
resolution should help ensure a strong U.S. position at the 60th annual IWC
meeting next week," said Patrick Ramage, Global Whale Program Director for the
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and a key witness at a recent
Congressional oversight hearing held by the Natural Resources Committee House
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans. "The United States, if it
takes the issue seriously, can change the situation for whales in the water
around the world and for the few whaling countries left at the IWC. Engaged
U.S. leadership is urgently needed if whales are to be protected for future
generations."

The IWC issued a global commercial whaling ban in 1986, yet three nations --
Japan, Norway and Iceland -- have disregarded the long-standing moratorium by
continuing to whale for commercial gain, exploiting loopholes in the 1946
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. As a result, the 60th
meeting of the IWC has raised significant debate throughout the whale
conservation community. As Chair of the Commission, however, the United
States has an unprecedented opportunity to influence the outcome of IWC 60 and
the future of the IWC. Says Ramage, "From sea to shining sea, Americans love
whales, and the U.S. has a record of leadership in whale conservation of which
all our citizens can be proud. Now, American leadership is once again needed
to help end commercial whaling once and for all."

IWC policies preserve the rights of Native populations to conduct whaling for
subsistence purposes, including whale hunts conducted by Alaska Natives, and
clearly distinguish between such whaling and ongoing commercial whaling by
Japan, Norway and Iceland. In past years, Japan has sought to equate its
commercial whaling plans with substance whaling and even threatened to block
IWC approval of limited whaling by Alaska Natives. "It is beneath the
dignity of a great nation like Japan to threaten the rights of native people
while it continues to kill whales in 2008 for products that nobody needs,"
says Ramage.

Ramage also highlighted alternative measures taken to promote whale
conservation, including responsible whale watching, which IFAW analyses
indicate is now a US$ 1 billion dollar-a-year industry for coastal communities
and businesses in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. "Animals
and people both do better when whales are seen and not hurt," said Ramage.
"We are hopeful that with strong U.S. leadership, next week's IWC meeting will
chart a new course for the commission and whale conservation in the 21st
century."

About IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare)

Founded in 1969, IFAW is an international animal welfare and conservation
organization that works to protect wild and domestic animals and to broker
solutions that benefit both animals and people. With offices in 15 countries
around the world, IFAW works to protect whales, elephants, great apes, big
cats, dogs and cats, seals, and other animals.

To learn more and to take action, visit www.ifaw.org today.

Editors: For more information visit the online media center at
www.stopwhaling.org.

SOURCE International Fund for Animal Welfare

Brandon Frazier of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, +1-202-536-1907,
bfrazier@ifaw.org; or Abby Berman, The Rosen Group, +1-212-255-8455,
abby@rosengrouppr.com, for the International Fund for Animal Welfare