309. Night Note to President Reagan1
Japanese Whaling
On December 19, State Department Under Secretary Wallis, Commerce Secretary Baldrige, and U.S. Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Dr. John Byrne provided Senator Packwood a detailed briefing on the U.S.–Japan arrangement concerning whaling. Senator Packwood expressed welcome support for the November 13 agreement which he described as the best that the U.S. could get.2 The Senator was pleased that the first stage of the agreement was implemented on December 11 with Japan’s withdrawal of its objec- [Page 869] tion to the IWC prohibition on sperm whaling.3 All agreed, however, that the second stage is more critical. This provides that if Japan withdraws its objection to the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling by April 1, 1985 (effective in 1988),4 Japan could continue limited whaling until 1988 without the U.S. invoking sanctions provided under our fisheries legislation (the most stringent of which Packwood himself sponsored in Congress).5
- Source: Department of State, Chronological Files, 1984–1985, Lot 86D362, December #1 1984 Completed Items. Confidential. Drafted by Kendrew on October 24 and cleared by Scully, Wolfe, Malone, Flournoy, Reis, Larson, Kelly (H), and Kelly (EAP).↩
- See Document 308.↩
- In telegram 25499 from Tokyo, December 13, the Embassy reported that the Japanese had dropped their objection to the sperm whaling moratorium. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D840796–0671)↩
- In telegram 103579 to Tokyo, April 5, 1985, the Department provided press guidance to the Embassy regarding Japan’s plans to withdraw its objection “as soon as the Unites States demonstrates its ability to uphold its end of the November 13 agreement between the U.S. and Japan. The agreement has been challenged by a lawsuit in the U.S.” (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D850237–0698)↩
- See Document 302.↩