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

The Commission accepted the following recommendations for action:

(1)

The Schedule is ambiguous concerning a 'whale taken' or 'lost whale', in that it contains prohibitions that refer to 'taking', 'killing' and 'striking', as well as the definitions in paragraph 1. It was agreed that these terms should be reviewed at the earliest opportunity by the legal group of the new Technical Committee.

(2)

The International Observer at the Icelandic whaling station had suggested that it is unreasonable to require that the meat of specific fin whales taken for local consumption be separated during normal operations. He proposed that an amount of meat equal to that produced from the whales taken for local consumption should be allocated to the local market. It was agreed that the Secretary should obtain additional information from the Observer on this matter, in order to evaluate the need for such a change.

(3)

The Infractions sub-committee had recommended that the Icelandic Government be urged to organise at least one inspection tour per season to the minke whaling area by the IWC Observer. The Technical Committee supported this proposal and the Commission noted that arrangements are already in hand to implement the scheme. Iceland, Norway and Canada have agreed to consider extension of the present land station Observer programme at Iceland. The International Observers could arrive in Iceland approximately one month earlier than at present so as to observe minke whale operations in North Iceland before the land station operation begins in late May.

(4)

To clarify the basis for penalties imposed for infractions, the Commission agreed that Contracting Governments be requested to transmit copies of their laws and regulations, in English, to the Secretary, particularly with explanations of their systems of remuneration and penalty, pursuant to paragraph 27 [old numbering] of the Schedule.

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