301. Editorial Note
In 1972, the United States participated in the UN Conference on the Human Environment, which took place in Stockholm, Sweden, June 5–16. During the Conference, the U.S. delegation pressed for “support for a 10-year whaling moratorium,” which began the U.S. effort to pursue an international ban on commercial whaling. (Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume E–1, Documents on Global Issues, 1969–1972, Document 324)
During the Ford administration, U.S. officials continued to try to restrict whaling at meetings of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). In 1975, U.S. efforts led to a reduction of whale-catch limits that represented “a partial fulfillment of the U.S. proposal for a 10 year moratorium on all commercial whaling which was adopted at the U.N. Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972.” (Telegram 9980 from London, June 27, 1975; Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D750224–0350)
Carter officials also pursued a commercial whaling ban. In 1980, a U.S. effort to implement an immediate and outright ban on commercial whaling failed by a vote of 14 in favor, 9 against, with 1 abstention (passage required three-fourths majority). (Telegram 15898 from London, July 26, 1980; Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D820386–0931)
The Reagan administration adopted the policies of their predecessors. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan spoke in support of a whaling ban, urging the IWC “to support our proposal for an indefinite moratorium on commercial whaling.” (Public Papers: Reagan, 1981, page 634) The United States and Great Britain proposed “an indefinite moratorium on all commercial whaling” at the July 20–25 IWC meeting in Great Britain. The proposal was defeated narrowly by a vote of 16 in favor, 8 against, with 3 abstentions. (Telegram 13830 from London, July 22, 1981; Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D810342–0865)
A second proposal to ban commercial whaling was introduced at the 1982 IWC meeting. This proposal, which called for a commercial whaling moratorium after 1985 and an assessment of the moratorium in 1990, succeeded by a vote of 25 in favor, 7 against, with 5 abstentions. Thereafter U.S. policy shifted to enforcing the moratorium and negotiating with states that wished to continue whaling. (Telegram 16122 from London, July 26, 1982; Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D820386–0931)