(from "Chairman's Report of the Twenty-Eighth Meeting")

(a)

Recognised list of smaller cetaceans:
The Commission agreed to recognise, for administrative and reference purposes, the list of smaller cetaceans of the world given in Appendix 1 of this report.

(b)

Management ot small cetaceans:
The Commission noted the Scientific Committee's view that there is a need for an international body to manage stocks of all cetaceans not covered by the present IWC Schedule. The matter will be considered by the working group concerned with redrafting the Convention (see paragraph 24).

The Commission also agreed that, in the meantime, all cetaceans taken for their own value be subject to consideration by the Scientific Committee and that the following species in the following areas should be considered for immediate action:

Northern Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus) North Atlantic
Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) North West Pacific
Dall's Porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) North West Pacific
Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) North Atlantic

(c)

Definition ot new stock category:
The Commission noted that the Scientific Committee was not in a position to classify stocks of small cetaceans in the same way as the large whales but that some urgent action might be required for 'vulnerable' stocks. It agreed that the matter should be included in next year's agenda.

(d)

Research:
The Commission accepted the recommendation that the Secretariat and governments of member nations be urged to initiate or augment research on species involved in direct fisheries and in particular the four species listed at item (b) above.

(e)

Age determination:
The Commission agreed with the Scientific Committee and recommended that to facilitate stock assessment efforts be made whenever possible to collect information relative to age-determination.

(i)

Need to convene workshops:
The Commission agreed to consider joining in the sponsership of two proposed workshops suggested by the FAO/ACMRR Small Cetacean Group. One workshop would deal with age determination and the other with female reproduction in toothed whales. The Commission supported the Scientific Committee's suggestion that the latter should be extended to include male reproduction.

(g)

Research on captive cetaceans:
The Commission agreed that more information from captive cetaceans would be useful and instructed the Secretary to initiate the appropriate action.

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