7. The Condition of the Antarctic Stocks

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


The Commission had before them the Second Interim Report of the Committee of Three, the Report of the Joint Meeting in Seattle in December, 1962 of the Committee of Three and the Scientific Committee, the Report of the Scientific Sub-Committee Meeting in London in April, 1963, the Report of the two meetings of the Scientific Committee held in connection with the Commission's meeting and lastly the Final Report of the Committee of Three, and their supplement received during the Commission's meeting. As summarized in the first Scientific Committee Meeting and in the last two documents it appeared to the Commission that the scientific views on the state of the different stocks of whales in the Antarctic were as follows:

Blue Whale - This species is in danger of extinction and protection should be given for a considerable number of years.

Humpback Whale - The stocks of this species are also threatened and complete protection for a considerable number of years should be given throughout the southern hemisphere.

Fin Whale - A sustained yield from this species would involve a reduction of the catch each year to about 5,000 whales. To obtain the optimum sustainable yield the annual catch would have to be substantially below 5,000 for a number of years to allow the stock to build up to its estimated optimum of 20,000. If the catches are unlimited in 1963/64 and thereafter reduced to zero the optimum could be reached in 11 years. On the other hand if the annual catch exceeds 5,000 the stock will approach near extinction in 10 or 20 years according to the size of the catch taken.

Sei Whale - The only limit to the Antarctic catch of sei whales at present is the overall limit in blue whale units. It is thought that a very large increase in the present catch might be damaging, but at present there is not enough information to suggest any but an arbitrary catch limit. However, investigations into the state of this stock should continue and it is hoped that in two or three years time it will be possible to make a realistic assessment of the stock position.

Sperm Whale - Here also not enough is known to justify a specific catch limit for this species in the Antarctic, but research is being continued. In the meantime the maintenance of the minimum size limit is considered to be important.

_