The United States is deeply opposed to commercial whaling: the
US does not engage in commercial whaling, and the US does not
allow the import of whale meat or whale products. While some
native Alaskans engage in narrowly circumscribed subsistence
whaling, this is approved by the IWC through a quota for
"aboriginal whaling." The United States also firmly supports
the proposed whale sanctuary in the Antarctic.
The United States has an equally strong commitment to science-
based international solutions to global conservation problems.
The US recognizes that not every country agrees with our
position against commercial whaling. This issue at hand is the
absence of a credible, agreed management and monitoring regime
that would ensure that commercial whaling is kept within a
science-based limit.
I believe that Norway's action is serious enough to justify
sanctions as authorized by the Pelly Amendment. Therefore, I
have directed that a list of potential sanctions, including a
list of Norwegian seafood products that could be the subject
of import prohibitions, be developed. Because the primary
interest of the United States in this matter is protecting the
integrity of the IWC and its conservation regime, I believe
our objectives can best be achieved by delaying the
implementation of sanctions until we have exhausted all good
faith efforts to persuade Norway to follow agreed conservation
measures. It is my sincere hope that Norway will agree to and
comply with such measures so that sanctions become
unnecessary.
The White House,
October 4, 1993
William Jefferson Clinton