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

(a) Southern Hemisphere
(i) Sei whales

These quotas give a total allowable catch for the Southern Hemisphere of 1,863 sei whales and the Commission agreed with the suggestion from Japan that the quotas in each Area might exceed these figures by not more than 10%, but in no circumstances shall the sum of the Areas exceed the total quota.

The Scientific Committee had not been able to take into account the effect of the substantial early catches and the preponderance of females in part or this fishery, and there is uncertainty about the rate of recruitment to the stocks. The Commission agreed that further study of these problems is needed and Japan invited the Scientific Committee to meet in Tokyo during the next year for this purpose.

(ii) Bryde's wltales
The Scientific Committee had advised a zero quota pending a full assessnlent and this was recommended by the Technical Committee and adopted by the Commission.

(iii) Minke wltales

The Area IV minke whale stock is estimated to be close to the boundary between the Initial and Sustained Management categories. The Scientific Committee therefore put forward two possible quota figures, 1,830 and 1,386, reflecting the differences of classification. By a majority vote, the Technical Committee recommended 1,830. An amendment by Mexico for a quota of 1,386 was defeated, but the figure of 1,830 failed to obtain the necessary three-quarters majority. Norway then proposed a quota of 1,600, which was approved by the Commission.

The Commission approved a Japanese proposal for a 10% allowance in each Area except Area IV provided that the sum of the catches in each Area does not exceed the total quota.

Brazil noted that the quota for Area II would be divided between her coastal season from July to December 1977 and the Antarctic pelagic season from December 1976 to April 1977. This did not appear to be a very appropriate combination and she will raise the matter again next year. In the meantime, the question was referred to the Scientific Committee for consideration.

(iv) Fin whales
Since all stocks are now classirled as Protection Stocks the Commission accepted the Technical Committee's recommendation that the sentence in paragraph 11 of the Schedule 'The taking of fin whales shall cease not later than 30 June 1976' should be deleted.

(v) Sperm whales
The Scientific Committee held a special meeting in La Jolla, California in March 1976 to consider sperm whale assessments. A slightly refined version of the population model developed in 1972 was used but with conservative population parameters and particularly the changes in the population parameters to be expected in response to exploitation, leading to significantly lower estimates or sustainable yield.

For the male sperm whales, the Technical Committee recommended the quotas proposed by the Scientific Committee, by majority votes for Divisions 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 and without vote for Divisions 3 and 5. The quotas for each Division were discussed individually by the Commission, and after the defeat of amendments proposed by Japan and the USSR for Divisions 2, 6 and 8, the Technical Committee's recommended figures were adopted as follows:

The quotas for female sperm whales proposed by the Scientific Committee and endorsed by the Technical Committee were approved by the Commission as follows:

Japan and the USSR both stated that they reserved their positions over the quotas for male and female sperm whales in the Southern Hemisphere. The Japanese request for a 10% allowance on catches in each Division was agreed by the Commission, but with the proviso that the sum of the catches shall not exceed the total quotas of 3,894 males and 897 females.

(b) North Paciric

For the Western stock of minke whales, the Scientific Committee pointed out that a non-member nation - Korea - was also significantly involved in the fishery. It recommended, therefore, that, for the coming year only, the quota should not exceed the level of the maximum post-war catch by Japan, i.e. 541.

The Technical Committee recommended that the quota be set at 541 and, following the defeat of a Mexican amendment for 400, the Commission agreed.

(c) North Atlantic

It was pointed out by Iceland that a large part of the North Atlantic sperm whale catch is taken by non-members of the IWC, and this led to the formulation of a resolution dealt with in paragraph 15 below. The Scientific Committee had been unable to decide between two catch levels for the West Greenland stock of minke whales: 227-250 or 406-429, the averages excluding or including the Norwegian pelagic catch. The Technical Committee, by a majority vote, recommended a quota of 400 whales, with the instruction that the Scientific Committee should review the situation next year. Canada proposed an amendment to this figure of 325, which was adopted by the Commission together with the call for further studies to be carried out.

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