APPENDIX E
REPORT OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF COMMISSIONERS
OF NORTH PACIFIC MEMBER NATIONS
LONDON
JUNE 23rd TO 30th, 1966

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


Commissioners and advisers from North Pacific Member Nations (Canada, Japan, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and United States of America) held their third meeting in London, on June 23rd, 24th and 27th through 30th to discuss the condition of the whale stocks in the North Pacific and to consider methods of regulating the catch to achieve the maximum sustainable yield. Previous meetings were held in London, June 30th, 1965, and Honolulu, February 14th to 17th, 1966. Dr. J.L. McHugh (Deputy Commissioner, U.S.A.) was re-elected as Chairman. A copy of the approved agenda is attached.

The following representatives were in attendance:

CANADA     W.M. Sprules (Commissioner)
K.R. Allen
G.C. Pike
JAPAN     I. Fujita (Commissioner)
M. Niwa
H. Yokota
H. Omura
U.S.S.R.     M.N. Sukhoruchenko (Commissioner)
I.F. Denisenko
M.V. Ivashin
C.G. Lafitsky
V.M. Nikolaev
U.S.A.     J.L. McHugh (Deputy Commissioner)
S. Blow
D.G. Chapman
D.W. Rice
Dr. Chapman (U.S.A.) is Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Commission, Mr. Pike (Canada) is Chairman of the North Pacific Working Group of scientists. The Working Group met in London, June 16th to 17th, 1966, and its report was available to the Commissioners. It was estimated that the present sustainable yield of the North Pacific fin whale resource is about 1,800 whales. Separate estimates of sustainable yield were made for the North American coast (50), Area II (150), Area III (250), Area IV (500), Areas V and VI (700), Asian coast (150), East China Sea (no estimate, but very small). It was pointed out that the fin whale catches in the eastern Pacific (North American coast and Areas II to IV inclusive) have exceeded the estimated sustainable yields. It was estimated that the North Pacific stocks of sei whales may still be above the level which will produce the maximum sustainable yield, but that the maximum sustainable yield cannot yet be calculated. There is no evidence that the North Pacific sperm whale resource has been affected seriously or that the level of maximum sustainable yield has been reached. No new population estimates were available on humpback or blue whales. Management aimed at maintaining maximum sustainable catches will require separate regulation for the different species and stocks. This cannot be achieved if a catch limit is fixed in Blue Whale Units alone. The scientists confirmed all recommendations of the Honolulu meeting except the one referring to fin whales.

For fin whales it was recommended that catches should be held below the estimated sustainable yield of 1,800 for the entire North Pacific and that as far as possible catches within the areas listed above should be held below their respective sustainable yields.

The Commissioners agreed unanimously that the current prohibitions on killing blue and humpback whales in the entire North Pacific Ocean should be continued. One delegation expressed the view that the prohibition on humpback whaling should be extended to 1970. It was agreed also that the current regulations on catching of sei and sperm whales are adequate and that no further measures are necessary at this time. Scientific assessment should be continued, so that appropriate regulatory measures for sei and sperm whaling can be taken as required. It was further agreed that the North Pacific fin whale stocks are for the most part over exploited and that the total catch is considerably higher than the estimated sustainable yield for the entire North Pacific. After considerable discussion it was agreed that more effective measures should be found to bring the catch of fin whales in the North Pacific below the sustainable yield by 1969, in order to begin rebuilding the stocks to the level of maximum sustainable yield. This can be accomplished by one or a combination of several different methods, and several such methods were discussed. It was not possible to consider all the alternatives in detail and it was apparent that further exchanges of views will be necessary to work out the mechanisms by which this objective can be achieved. Accordingly, it was agreed that the Chairman of the group should undertake an exchange of correspondence with a view to the possibility of a further meeting prior to the 1967 whaling season.

Formal action will therefore not be possible immediately. For 1966 it was agreed that the nations conducting whaling operations in the North Pacific Ocean will use all reasonable means at their disposal to keep the pelagic catches of fin whales below the level of the 1965 catches and the catches of fin whales from land stations below the average of the 1964/65 catches. It was understood that this agreement does not apply to the stocks of whales in the East China Sea.

_