10. Protection of the Blue Whale
(from "Chairman's Report of the Fifteenth Meeting")
In view of the dangerous position of the blue whale stocks in the Antarctic,
the question of protection was examined at some length in the Technical
Committee and finally dealt with by the Commission.
There was general agreement that this species should be given the complete
protection recommended by the Commission's scientific advisers.
The Commissioner for Japan, however, pointed out that there was an area where
the stock of blue whales was predominantly a stock of pygmy blue whales and
that his Government attached particular importance to a continuance of the
catching of these whales at least for the next year.
Finally the Commissioner for the United Kingdom proposed and the Commissioner
for Japan seconded a resolution that the deleted Paragraph 6(3) of the
Schedule should be replaced by a new 6(3) which would read:
"It is forbidden to kill or attempt to kill blue whales in the waters south
of 40° south latitude, except in the waters north of 55° south latitude, from
0° eastwards to 80° east longitude".
The resolution was carried, there being 8 votes in favour, none against and 5
abstentions.
_