,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bcfi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #e1  
#bjah ,mr4 ,sullivan 7for himself1 ,ms4 
,murkowski1 and ,mr4 ,whitehouse7       
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to         
authorize aboriginal subsistence whaling
 pursuant to the regulations of the     
,international ,whaling ,commission1 and
 for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,whaling 
,convention ,amendments ,act of #bjah4  
#b4 ,amendment of the ,whaling          
,convention ,act of #aidi ,the ,whaling 
,convention ,act of #aidi 7#af ,u4,s4,c4
 #iaf et seq47 is amended by inserting  
after section #f the following3  #f;,a4 
,aboriginal subsistence whaling  7a7 ,in
 general ,the ,secretary of ,commerce1  
or such officer as may be designated by 
the ,secretary1 shall authorize         
aboriginal subsistence whaling pursuant 

to paragraph #ac of the regulations of  
the ,commission 7or any successor to    
such paragraph71 if such whaling--  7#a7
 is for subsistence purposes 7including 
the sale of authentic native articles of
 handicrafts and clothing72  7#b7 does  
not include the striking1 taking1 or    
killing of calves or any whale          
accompanied by a calf2 and  7#c7 is not 
accomplished in a wasteful manner4  7b7 
,catch limit  7#a7 ,requirement to      
establish ,the ,secretary of ,commerce  
shall establish catch limits for the    
,alaska ,native aboriginal subsistence  
whale hunt for any year1 if the         
,secretary determines that--  7,a7 the  
,commission has failed to adopt catch   
limits applicable to the hunt for such  
year2 and  7,b7 the biological status of
 the affected stock is such that1 based 
on the most recent review of the status 
of such stock by the ,scientific        
,committee of the ,commission1 the      
aboriginal subsistence needs statement  
submitted by the ,united ,states to the 

,commission of that year is sustainable4
  7#b7 ,limitation ,the catch limits    
established by the ,secretary under     
paragraph 7#a7 shall satisfy the ,alaska
 ,native subsistence needs described in 
a statement submitted by the ,united    
,states to the ,commission1 and shall   
include carryover at the level accepted 
by the ,scientific ,committee of the    
,commission in its most recent review of
 the subsistence whaling quota4  7#c7   
,construction ,nothing in paragraph 7#a7
 relieves the ,united ,states           
,commissioner of the ,commissioner's    
obligation to continue seeking adoption 
by the ,commission1 pursuant to the     
paragraph #ac of the regulations of the 
,commission 7or any successor to such   
paragraph that permits aboriginal       
subsistence whaling71 of catch limits   
that provide for ,alaska ,native        
aboriginal subsistence needs4  4  #c4   
,implementing regulations  7a7 ,in      
general ,not later than #c years after  
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 

,secretary of ,commerce shall issue any 
regulations necessary to implement      
section #f;,a of the ,whaling           
,convention ,act of #aidi1 as added by  
section #b4  7b7 ,review and updates    
,the ,secretary of ,commerce shall      
review and update the regulations       
required by subsection 7a7 as needed1   
and at least once every #e years1 after 
the date on which the ,secretary of     
,commerce issues the regulations as a   
final rule4