HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/18/2010, C 3 - ADOPT A RESOLUTION PROTECTING WHALES AND OPPOSING COMMERCIAL WHALING I
council M�finD
j acenaa Report 1.N.I. ,,,
C I TY O F SAN LU I S O B I S P O
FROM: J. Christine Dietrick, City Attorney
SUBJECT: ADOPT A RESOLUTION PROTECTING WHALES AND OPPOSING
COMMERCIAL WHALING
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution relating to the protection of whales and opposing commercial whaling.
DISCUSSION
This issue was raised at the City Council meeting of May 4, 2010. The International Whaling
Commission ("IWC") will hold its annual conference in June 2010. A committee of the IWC has
prepared a draft agreement that would remove the current moratorium on whaling and allow the
resumption of commercial whaling. The agreement indicates that there would be hunt quotas on
the California gray whale even though evidence suggests that their population is quickly
declining. The IWC's decisions are of significance to the protection of the species and its habitat
and will undoubtedly affect the population of California gray whales and would likely affect
commercial tourism to coastal communities including the City of San Luis Obispo.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution.
G:\Agenda-Ordinances-Resol\Protecting the Whales.CAR.doc
ATTACHMENT
RESOLUTION NO. (2010 Series)
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ON PROTECTION OF WHALES
AND OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED RESUMPTION OF COMMERCIAL WHALING
AND TEN YEAR QUOTAS FOR GRAY WHALES AS PROPOSED BY THE
INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION
WHEREAS, whales are considered sentient beings that, at the apex of the marine food
chain, are extremely important for the health and viability of our oceans; and
WHEREAS, the California gray whale is our official state Marine Mammal and is
enjoyed by millions of whale watchers along the coast of California every winter and spring; and
WHEREAS, whale watching for gray whales and other species is a multi-million dollar
industry supporting coastal communities throughout California; and
WHEREAS, the California gray whale population is showing signs of stress; and
WHEREAS, all whale populations, including the gray whale, are facing serious global
environmental problems including effects of global warming and acidification of the oceans,
harvesting of krill and other small fish species, intense underwater noise, and water pollution;
and
WHEREAS, the International Whaling Commission ("IWC") has adopted an indefinite
moratorium on commercial whaling that went into effect for the 1986-87 whaling season; and
WHEREAS the U.S. government vigorously promoted the whaling moratorium and has,
in the past, led efforts to protect whales in the IWC and other global forums, including the
establishment of the entire Southern Ocean as an IWC whale sanctuary; and
WHEREAS an IWC delegation has now proposed an agreement that would legitimize
and perpetuate commercial whaling, including so-called scientific whaling, on whale species,
including several that are considered globally endangered; and
WHEREAS, this agreement would legalize current commercial whaling, including so-
called scientific whaling from which all the products are marketed, being conducted by the
countries of Japan, Norway, and Iceland in defiance of the moratorium, as well as continue
illegal trade in whale meat; and
WHEREAS, this agreement would set ten-year quotas for whale species for both
commercial and subsistence whaling, including gray whales, without regard to scientific review
of the population status of the species or potential adverse impact of the quotas; and
WHEREAS, this agreement would allow a subsistence quota of 1,400 gray whales over
the next ten years, a quota that could only be modified by a three-quarters vote of the full IWC;
and
�-3
R
�-�
Resolution No. (2010 Series) ATTACHMENT
Page 2
WHEREAS, the IWC is scheduled to consider this new whaling agreement and to take
action on it at their annual meeting on June 21-25, 2010, in Agadir, Morocco.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the City of San Luis
Obispo:
SECTION 1. Opposes the agreement to renew commercial whaling and set ten-year
quotas as proposed.by the IWC;
SECTION 2. Urges President Barack Obama to direct the United States Delegation to
the IWC to oppose the agreement or any other agreements to allow commercial whaling or set
ten-year quotas;
SECTION 3. Urges the IWC to end all commercial killing of whales, including killing
undertaken by nations holding objections to the IWC moratorium and nations issuing so-called
"scientific" permits to kill whales for commerce; and
SECTION 4. Urges the IWC to focus instead on protecting whales and whale habitat,
encouraging nonlethal and non-harassing uses of whales for education and scientific study, and
addressing global environmental problems that impinge on whale populations as representatives
of the biodiversity of the oceans.
Upon motion of , seconded by , and on
the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT
The foregoing resolution was adopted this day of 2010.
Mayor David F. Romero
ATTEST:
Elaina Cano
City Clerk
APPRO D AS TO F
A en
Christine Dietrick
( City Attorney
C.3 3