Resolution 1997-3

HAVING ESTABLISHED zero catch limits for commercial whaling in paragraph 10(e) of the Schedule;
CONCERNED that the Government of Norway, having lodged an objection to paragraph 10(e) of the Schedule,
unilaterally authorised commercial whaling on minke whales beginning in 1993;
CONCERNED ALSO that Norway continues to allow commercial whaling and that it has increased its quotas,
despite IWC Resolutions 1995-5 and 1996-5 calling on Norway to immediately halt all whaling activities under
its jurisdiction;
RECALLING that the Commission decided in 1994 that the Revised Management Procedure should not be
implemented until all aspects of the Revised Management Scheme are incorporated into the Schedule;
APPRECIATIVE that the Government of Norway has a policy against issuing licenses for the export of whale
meat and products;
AWARE of attempts to smuggle products of the Norwegian hunt into the markets of other countries, which
highlight the need to establish a transparent supervision and control scheme so that commercial harvests can be
monitored through to the retail market;
NOTING the proposal by the Government of Norway to establish a DNA database of northeast Atlantic minke
whales taken during its commercial hunt and the contribution such a data base could make to the IWC's
monitoring efforts;
RECALLING that the Commission at its 47th Annual Meeting (IWC Resolution 1995-6) called on all
governments with stockpiles of whale meat to report annually on the volume of such stockpiles, their domestic
laws governing the possession and sale of whale meat, and all enforcement actions taken with respect to whale
meat illegally obtained and/or sold; and
NOTING that the Government of Norway has declined to submit a report as called for in IWC Resolution 1995-
6 and 1996-5;
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
REAFFIRMS its view that commercial whaling should not take place while paragraph 10(e) of the Schedule
remains in force;
REGRETS the unilateral setting of quotas for commercial whaling;
CALLS AGAIN on the Government of Norway, in the exercise of its sovereign rights, to:
- reconsider its objection to paragraph 10(e) of the Schedule;
- halt immediately all whaling activities under its jurisdiction;
- maintain its policy against the export of whale meat and products;
- report to the Commission on the subjects requested in IWC Resolution 1995-6; and
- make the DNA data base available to the IWC.