Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XLI, Global Issues II

308. Letter From Secretary of Commerce Baldrige to the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires ad Interim (Murazumi)¹

Washington, November 13, 1984

Dear Mr. Murazumi:

Thank you for your letter about the recent bilateral consultations between representatives of our governments on the Japanese harvest of sperm whales from the western division stock of the North Pacific and the possibility that I, as Secretary of Commerce, may certify any confirmed harvest of sperm whales by Japanese nationals.²

After consulting with the United States Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission (IWC), I have concluded that commercial harvests of whales by Japanese nationals within the limits and under the circumstances set forth in the Summary of Discussions attached to your letter would not diminish the effectiveness of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, 1946, or its conservation program.

The reports of the IWC’s Scientific Committee, as well as the IWC’s 1982 decision to permit quotas of 450 and 400 whales for the 1982 and 1983 coastal sperm whaling seasons, respectively,³ indicate that sperm whaling in accordance with paragraph 1 of the Summary of Discussions attached to your letter is not inconsistent with the IWC’s essential conservation purposes. Moreover, in deciding that Japanese commercial whaling in accordance with paragraph 2 of that Summary of Discussions would not thwart the essential conservation purposes of the IWC, I have noted the apparent purpose of the IWC in having itself provided for a delayed effective date of paragraph 10(e).

This arrangement does not insulate from certification any Japanese whaling in excess of the 1984–85 quota for Southern Hemisphere minke whales. I urge that the Government of Japan comply with that quota. Furthermore, the withdrawals of your government’s objections to footnote 1 to Table 3 and paragraph 10(e) of the Schedule would be irrevocable, notwithstanding their prospective effective dates.

Finally, in judging whether the Government of the United States would accept the catch limits for the 1986 and 1987 coastal seasons and 1985/86 and 1986/87 pelagic seasons as contemplated in paragraph 2 of the Summary of Discussions, the Government of the United States would be guided by the most recent quota voted by the IWC prior to those seasons.

Our purpose in recent consultations with the Government of Japan has been to encourage adherence by the Government of Japan to all provisions of the Convention’s Schedule. We regard the provisions of paragraph 10(e) of the Schedule to be of central importance to the rational conservation and management of the world’s remaining whale stocks. This is reflected in President Reagan’s 1981 letter to each of the IWC Commissioners encouraging them to take action along the lines now reflected in paragraph 10(e) of the Schedule.⁴

Sincerely,

Malcolm Baldrige

1. Source: Department of State, Dumping; Arctic; Whaling; Antarctic; Scientific Research, 1976–1987, Lot 94D419, U.S.-Japan Nov. 13th Agreement. No classification marking.
2. Document 307.
3. In telegram 16122 from London, July 26, 1982, the Embassy reported on the IWC’s sperm whale catch limits. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D820386–0931)
4. See footnote 3, Document 303.