(from "Chairman's Report of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting")
19.2 Reports by contracting governments on alternatives to the cold grenade
harpoon for killing minke whales
Australia, believing that the method of killing whales currently used is
cruel, urged an end to the use of the cold grenade harpoon by way of a
Resolution.
Japan referred to some of the technical problems and emphasised that it is carrying out considerable research. It has asked for technical assistance which has not been forthcoming, and further research on a commercial scale will be carried out next season. It is likely that there will be full use of an explosive harpoon in the 1983/84 season. It will take a little longer to introduce into the coastal fishery employing smaller vessels.
Norway indicated that it too is pursuing active research on alternatives with some encouraging progress. The USSR is also carrying out experiments. Brazil is conscious of the worries expressed and is co-operating with countries having the necessary technology. None of these countries could meet the dead-line set by the Schedule amendment. Following exhaustive discussion in Technical Committee, the proposed wording was amended. Norway, Japan, Iceland, the USSR and Brazil all recorded their reservations to the Resolution which was otherwise approved in the Commission by consensus as amended in Appendix 4.
19.3 Report of the Scientific Committee
The Scientific Committee had received reports from the Norwegian, Japanese,
and Soviet experimental programmes.
It does not have the expertise in its composition to discuss the technical
aspects but noted that the accuracy of shooting was the most important factor
in all situations.
It recommended that a Technical Committee Working Group of experts should be
established to carry out evaluation of the reports.
The Commission supported this proposal and it was agreed that the Secretary should organise such a Working Group immediately prior to the next Annual Meeting to review available papers and evaluate the results.
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