15. REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC PERMITS

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


The Scientific Committee reported on the 114 Bryde's whales taken by Japan in the Southern Hemisphere under a permit reviewed in advance by the Scientific Committee. The USSR had also taken 5 Bryde's whales in the Southern Hemisphere under special permit without prior Scientific Committee review, through a misunderstanding of when the new review procedure came into effect, before they cancelled the permit.

The USA suggested that the requirement for prior review should be written into the Schedule, but the Technical Committee agreed that this subject should be reconsidered again next year when the Secretary has obtained legal advice on such a requirement.

The Commission note that Japan has put forward proposals for a final programme on southern Bryde's whales which were considered by the Scientific Committee. All the results of the Japanese studies will be reviewed before any further programme is developed.

The minimum data requirements for special permit catches developed by the Scientific Committee were endorsed by the Technical Committee and approved by the Commission. They appear under item 5.6 of the Scientific Committee's Report.

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