9. Protection of the Humpback Whale (1963)

9. Protection of the Humpback Whale

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

The views of the Scientific Committee and the Committee of Three that the humpback whale should be completely protected in the southern hemisphere received wide support when discussed in the Technical Committee. This Committee decided to recommend:

(i): the complete suspension of whaling for humpbacks in the. southern hemisphere and
(ii): that at the end of three years the Commission should review the position to determine whether any other action should be undertaken.

The Schedule would be amended as follows:

For the present Paragraph 6(2)(a) substitute "Paragraph 6(2). It is forbidden to kill or attempt to kill humpback whales in the waters south of the Equator".
Delete Paragraphs 6(2)(b) and 6(3)(a) and (b).

The Technical Committee's resolution was considered by the Commission. An amendment moved by the Commissioner for Australia and seconded by the Commissioner for New Zealand proposed that the words "of the Equator" in the main resolution should be replaced by "of 40° south" and that the subject should be examined again next year. The amendment was lost, there being 3 votes in favour, 3 votes against and 7 abstentions. The main proposal was then made by the Commissioner for Canada and seconded by the Commissioner for Norway. This was carried with 8 votes in favour, 1 against and 4 abstentions.