12. The Sanctuary

(from "Chairman's Report of the Fifteenth Meeting")


The position in respect of the Sanctuary was examined by the Scientific Committee and the Technical Committee. Both agreed that the Sanctuary area should remain open until the Commission otherwise decides. The Technical Committee also recommended to the Commission that the wording in brackets in Paragraph 5 of the Schedule should be simplified by replacing it with the following sentence:

"This paragraph, as a result of a decision of the Fourteenth Meeting was rendered inoperative until the Commission otherwise decides".

The Commission considered this proposal from the Technical Committee which was moved by the Commissioner for Canada and seconded by the Commissioner for Norway and also an amendment to it proposed by the Commissioner for the Netherlands and seconded by the Commissioner for the U.S.A. The amendment was "to remove the words in brackets at the end of Paragraph 5 of the Schedule" and had the effect of bringing the Sanctuary into operation again. The Chairman of the Scientific Committee pointed out that it had been the view of the Scientific Committee that so long as there had been a restriction on the total catch in the Antarctic, it was preferable not to have the Sanctuary, because then the catch would be spread more evenly over the whole stock.

On being put to the vote the amendment was lost. There were 2 votes in favour, 5 against and 6 abstentions. The main resolution was then carried, there being 11 votes in favour, none against and 2 abstentions.

_