12. REVIEW OF SUBSISTENCE/ABORIGINAL WHALING (1978)

12. REVIEW OF SUBSISTENCE/ABORIGINAL WHALING

(from "Chairman's Report of the Thirtieth Annual Meeting")

(i) Bering Sea stock of bowheads
The United States of America reviewed the management and scientific programmes implemented in accordance with its commitment undertaken at the December 1977 Tokyo Special Meeting of the Commission. It put forward specific proposals for future action including a catch limit set at the aboriginal subsistence needs but which would be not more than 2% of the stock size, coupled with continued research. These were embodied in a proposed Schedule amendment and Resolution. After extensive discussion the Technical Committee agreed by a majority vote to recommend that Schedule paragraph 11, section (a) should be amended so that the 1979 Alaskan bowhead hunt should end when 24 whales have been landed, but it was unable to agree on the number which could be struck and so made no recommendation on this element.

The USSR, seconded by Denmark, amended the Technical Committee's recommendation so that the hunt should cease when 30 whales have been struck or 24 landed. The Commission voted 7 for, 5 against with 5 abstentions, so this amendment failed to gain the three-quarters majority required for a Schedule change. After the failure of an amendment by Denmark, seconded by Mexico, for 27 whales struck or 20 landed, which received 10 votes for and 4 against with 3 abstentions, and the defeat of a Canadian amendment, seconded by South Africa, for 23 struck and 18 landed, by 2 votes to 4 with 11 abstentions, the Commission adopted by 9 votes to 1, with 7 abstentions, a Norwegian proposal, seconded by Iceland, for the Schedule paragraph to read:

'in 1979 hunting shall cease when either 27 have been struck or 18 landed.'

Because of the many problems involved in this matter, the Commission also accepted a resolution from the Technical Committee that a Working Group of the Technical Committee examine the entire aboriginal whaling problem and develop proposals for a regime for the aboriginal bowhead hunt in Alaska and if appropriate a regime or regimes for other aboriginal hunts to be submitted to the Commission for consideration at the next Annual Meeting.

On the proposal of the Netherlands, seconded by the UK and Panama, the Commission re-affirmed the Resolution adopted at the 1977 Tokyo Special Meeting concerning habitat preservation (Chairman's Report Tokyo Special Meeting Appendix 2), and noted the research being undertaken by Canada and the USA in this area.

Finally, at the very end of the meeting, the USA asked for 2 more bowhead whales to be added to the 1978 catch limit, to be taken during the fall hunt. The USSR, Denmark and Iceland seconded this proposal to amend the Schedule paragraph 11 to read:

'(a) In 1978, hunting shall cease when either 20 have been struck or 14 landed.'

The Commission adopted this change by 10 votes to 1, with 6 abstentions, but because of the lack of advance information and the unusual circumstances of the proposal, agreed to seek legal advice on the validity of this decision.

(ii) Greenland humpback catch
The Scientific Committee recommended that the present exemption allowing up to 10 humpback whales to be taken in Greenland waters by aborigines be removed. They urged that fin whales should be taken instead.

After discussing the subsistence needs and practical aspects explained by Denmark, the Commission agreed to increase the fin whale catch limit for the West Greenland stock from 4 to 15, with a footnote that the combined catch limit of fin and humpback whales in the West Greenland waters shall not exceed 15 whales.

The Commission also adopted a Resolution (Appendix 3) calling upon the Danish Government to attempt to substitute fin whales for humpback whales in the fishery.

(iii) Gray whales
The Commission accepted the Scientific Committee recommendation, endorsed by the Technical Committee, to classify the two stocks as:

The Commission also agreed that a footnote to the catch limit for the Eastern Stock should be added in the Schedule stating:

	Classification	Catch limit
Eastern Stock	SMS	178
Western Stock	PS	0

'Available to be taken by aborigines or a Contracting Government on behalf of aborigines pursuant to paragraph 11 but not for commercial purposes.'

It also requested that the Soviet aboriginal fishery should be managed to achieve a more balanced sex ratio and urged non-member nations not to kill any whales from the Western Stock.

No member nation is proposing commercial operations on gray whales and the Commission noted the joint statement by Mexico and the USA on research and conservation measures which they are developing, including complete protection for these stocks within their 200 mile coastal zones. Similar protection occurs within Canadian waters.