11. Protection of Sperm Whales

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


As a measure of protection for the sperm whale it was proposed by the Commissioner for New Zealand and seconded by the Commissioner for Australia that the following sub-paragraph (3) be added to Schedule Paragraph 4:

"It is forbidden to use a whale catcher attached to a factory ship for the purpose of killing or attempting to kill sperm whales within a radius of five hundred miles of any land station".

On being voted upon this motion was lost, there being 9 in favour, 4 against and 1 abstention. Those in favour of the proposal had argued that there was a danger of over exploitation of sperm whales and that until scientific evidence was available it would be prudent to take this measure as a safeguard. Opinions against the proposal included those of the Commissioners for Japan and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics who considered that it was a violation of the freedom of the seas.

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