13. Sperm Whale Stocks
(from "Chairman's Report of the Twenty-Second Meeting")
The Scientific Committee reported that it had agreed that further analyses of
sperm whales stocks in the Southern Hemisphere were needed and had made no
assessment of the sustainable yield in that area.
In regard to the North Pacific, the Technical Committee reported that the
North Pacific Commissioners had considered the limitation of the catch in that
area in the light of the report of the Scientific Committee and had agreed
that the 1970 catch should be reduced by 10% for 1971 giving a limit of 13,551
sperm whales for pelagic fleets and land stations.
For procedural reasons it was not possible to implement this agreement in the
Schedule this year but the Technical Committee expect to be in a position to
propose an appropriate amendment to the Schedule to limit the sperm whale
catch in the North Pacific at the next meeting.
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