(from "Chairman's Report of the Twelfth Meeting")
(a) It was not possible to make a comprehensive comparison of infractions with those of previous seasons, as only three Contracting Governments had submitted infraction reports in respect of the Antarctic area in time. The importance of these reports being in the hands of the Secretary well in advance of the Annual Meeting was emphasised.The Commission took note of (a), (b) and (c) and approved the recommendation in (d). The Technical Committee had suggested the desirability of seeking reports from the Netherlands and Norway. The Commission concurred and instructed the Secretary to invite reports from those countries.
(b) There appeared to be no marked change in the trend for Antarctic pelagic expeditions, the figures comparing favourably with those for the previous season. The increase in the percentage of undersized whales taken by the U.S.S.R. fleets was to a large extent due to the lack of experience among the gunners in the U.S.S.R's new expedition and to the shortage of sizeable whales. It was also accepted that the increased percentage of lost whales recorded by the Japanese expeditions was due to very bad weather.
(c) Although the total number of infractions within the Antarctic attributed to pelagic expeditions was less than in the previous season, attention was drawn to the percentage of lost whales recorded at the land stations in South Georgia, which was high in relation to that in pelagic whaling.
(d) Outside the Antarctic it was notable that the percentage of total infractions increased progressively from 0.57 in 1955 to 1.52 in 1959. It was therefore recommended that the attention of member countries should be drawn to their obligation to maintain regular and adequate inspection of land stations.
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