Upon learning that whales were being taken under the 

 research program, the United States advised Norway that a 

 certification finding under domestic U.S. law was being 

 processed. In response, Norwegian officials, at their request, 

 met with U.S. officials, including representatives of the Marine 

 Mammal Commission, on 14-15 September 1989. At the meeting, the 

 Norwegian representatives presented new information on their 

 research program, but they did not indicate whether Norwegian 

 nationals would continue to take whales under the program in 

 1990. 



Further bilateral discussions between the Secretary of 

 Commerce and other Department officials and Norwegian officials 

 were held in November. However, at the end of 1989, results of 

 those discussions had not yet been announced, and no action had 

 been taken to certify Norway for its research whaling program. 

 It was the Marine Mammal Commission's view that actions taken by 

 Norway would support a certification finding under the Pelly and 

 Packwood-Magnuson Amendments . 



Review of U.S. Whaling Policy — Over at least the next two 

 years, the IWC will be conducting a comprehensive assessment to 

 consider, among other things, whether and under what conditions 

 it might be appropriate to establish catch limits for whaling, 

 other than aboriginal subsistence whaling, at levels other than 

 zero. To help assess appropriate U.S. policy in light of present 

 circumstances and expected developments within the IWC, the U.S. 

 IWC Commissioner wrote to the Secretary of State and Secretary of 

 Commerce on 29 September 1989 to recommend that an interagency 

 group be established to review and provide advice on U.S. policy 

 on whaling. 



The Secretaries agreed and, by letter of 13 November 1989, 

 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration asked the 

 Marine Mammal Commission and certain other agencies to partici- 

 pate on a Whale Policy Review Task Force. The letter noted that 

 existing U.S. policy has been one of clear opposition to commer- 

 cial whaling until certain stringent conditions, not yet met by 

 the IWC, have been satisfied, and that, at present, the United 

 States supports continuation of the IWC moratorium on commercial 

 whaling. Recognizing that a continuation of this policy likely 

 will result in escalating political and economic costs to a 

 variety of U.S. interests, the letter noted that it is an appro- 

 priate time to carefully examine all relevant considerations. 



The first Task Force meeting was held on 14 December 1989. 

 It was chaired by a representative of the National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration. Other participants included repre- 

 sentatives of the Department of State, the Department of Justice, 

 the Council on Environmental Quality, the International Trade 

 Administration in the Department of Commerce, and the Marine 

 Mammal Commission. During the meeting, a tentative schedule of 



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