MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION — Annual Report for 1992 
were insufficient data to accurately assess the efficien- 
cy of killing methods that have been and are being 
used or how the methods might be improved. The 
workshop developed and recommended an 11-point 
plan to further assess and develop more humane 
killing methods. The IWC endorsed the action plan 
and called upon its members to implement it. 
Closing Statements — At the end of the meeting, 
both Norway and Japan indicated disappointment that 
the IWC had been unable to finalize and use the 
Revised Management Procedure to establish allowable 
catch limits for North Atlantic and southern hemi- 
sphere minke whale stocks. Norway indicated that it 
must consider whether it will continue as a contracting 
government to the Convention. 
Post-Meeting Activities 
Certification of Norway — The United States 
considers failure of nations to follow IWC resolutions 
calling for reconsideration of “research” whaling to be 
grounds for certification under two provisions of 
domestic law — the Packwood-Magnuson Amendment 
to the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Manage- 
ment Act and the Pelly Amendment to the Fisher- 
men’s Protective Act. Certification under the Pack- 
wood-Magnuson Amendment mandates an immediate 
50 percent reduction in the offending nation’s fishery 
allocation from U.S. waters. Under the Pelly Amend- 
ment, the President has the discretion to impose 
economic sanctions by restricting imports of fish and 
fish products into the United States from the certified 
nation. 
As noted above, the IWC determined that the 
research programs being carried out by Norway and 
Japan are not necessary to further the IWC’s conser- 
vation program and requested that both countries 
reconsider issuing permits authorizing “research” 
whaling. Neither country refrained from issuing 
permits authorizing research whaling. During the 
summer of 1992, 95 minke whales were killed in the 
course of the Norwegian scientific research program. 
By letter of 26 October 1992 the Secretary of Com- 
merce advised the Marine Mammal Commission that 
she had certified to the President that nationals of 
Norway were conducting whaling operations that 
diminish the effectiveness of the IWC’s conservation 
126 
program and that the Department of Commerce was 
developing trade recommendations on possible import 
prohibitions to be forwarded to the President. 
On 23 December 1992 the President advised 
Congress that he had decided not to impose sanctions 
at this time. However, the President also stated that 
the U.S. concerns over Norway’s proposed plans for 
commercial whaling in 1993 would be conveyed to the 
highest levels of the Norwegian Government. 
Japan remains certified under both the Pelly and 
Packwood-Magnuson Amendments pursuant to a 
decision by the Department of Commerce’s in 1988. 
Russian aboriginal take of bowhead whales — 
As noted in Chapter III, in December 1992 the 
Secretary of the IWC was advised that the Russian 
Federal Fisheries Commission had authorized resi- 
dents of the Chukotskiy Peninsula to take three 
bowhead whales during November-December 1992. 
As of the end of 1992 neither the IWC nor the United 
States had been advised as to whether any bowhead 
whales had been taken. 
High Seas Driftnet Fisheries 
During the past 15 years there has been an explo- 
sive growth in driftnet fisheries on the high seas of 
certain oceans. Made possible by the development of 
strong, lightweight monofilament nets, high seas 
driftnet fisheries apply centuries-old freshwater and 
coastal gillnet fishing techniques, but on a vastly 
larger scale in the open ocean and with potentially 
disastrous results. 
High seas (or pelagic) driftnets are usually sus- 
pended from a float line at or near the ocean surface 
and hang to a depth of about 10 meters. Driftnets are 
not selective, and when any marine organisms larger 
than the mesh size attempt to swim through a net, 
they become entangled in the webbing. In large-scale 
operations, 30- to 60-meter segments of gillnet are 
strung together to form net curtains often stretching 
six to 13 kilometers in length. Each night, individual 
vessels may deploy several of these units, which 
combined may total as much as 60 kilometers of net. 
