12. Participation of Non-Member Whaling Nations
(from "Chairman's Report of the Twenty-Fourth Meeting")
This item, which had been included by the USA Government, was considered by
the Finance and Administration Committee.
The Committee noted that five countries whose whale catches were recorded in
the BIWS reports were not members of the Commission.
These were Brazil, Chile, Peru, Portugal and Spain.
Brazil had been a member of the Commission but withdrew from the Convention
in 1966.
An appeal had been made in 1965 to Chile and Peru to adhere to the Convention
without success.
The Committee took the view that the time had come, particularly in view of
the present world-wide concern about conservation of whale stocks, for a
further approach to these countries as well as an appeal to other non-member
countries.
The Commission accepted the Committee's recommendation that the Chairman of
the Commission should make this approach and that member countries should be
urged to re-inforce this action through the diplomatic opportunities available
to them.
The Commission also adopted a resolution moved by the Argentine delegation
seconded by the United States delegation that the Secretary General of the
United Nations be asked to address all member nations so that those engaged
in whaling activities which are not members of the International Whaling
Commission, adhere to it and its Schedule as soon as possible thus following
the spirit of the UN Conference on Human Environment.
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