Lee Metcalf: “in Monaco today the International Whaling Commission, the IWC adopted a proposal to reduce the quota of gray whales…”

“in Monaco today the International Whaling Commission, the IWC adopted a proposal to reduce the quota of gray whales given to Russia from 140 to 124. The quota was originally established for aboriginal groups who had demonstrated a nutritional need for whale products. The United States intends to take four gray whales from the Russian quota and allocate them for harvest by the Makah tribe in Washington State. However, many delegates to the IWC are now saying that they did not approve the controversial Makah proposal. Evidently, as I stated on the floor, on the House floor last night, the United States has tried to go through the back door by cutting a deal with the Russians and their quota, because they were facing almost certain defeat if the Makah issue were dealt with on its own merits. The U.S. delegation leader, Will Martin, stated at a press conference in Monaco that the Makah hunt had been approved. He has since been forced to back away from this statement. This is another example of a misleading statement of fact by the U.S. delegation in Monaco. Throughout this process, they have relied on strong arm pressure tactics, misleading information and clever propaganda to distort this issue. The Makah just have not demonstrated and aboriginal subsistence need, which is what the IWC regulations have always required.”