13. North Pacific Whale Stocks (1966)

13. North Pacific Whale Stocks

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

A working group consisting of representatives of Canada, Japan, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America met in Honolulu in February 1966 and in London in June 1966. Its findings were considered by the North Pacific Commissioners and recommendations made to the Commission as follows:

(a): The existing 5 year ban on the taking of the blue whale in the North Pacific should be continued.
(b): The ban on the taking of the humpback whale in the North Pacific should be continued in 1967.
(c): The North Pacific whaling countries should endeavour to reach agreement on a method of reducing fin whale catches with a view to bringing them below the sustainable yield by 1969.
(d): Current regulations on the catching of sei and sperm whales were adequate and no further measures should be taken at present but scientific assessments should continue so that appropriate regulatory measures could be taken as required.

The proposals were supported by the Technical Committee and unanimously accepted by the Commission.