7. REVISION OF PRESENT MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE

(from "Chairman's Report of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting")


In the Technical Committee Japan introduced a proposed new management procedure designed to overcome the difficulties at present experienced in estimating initial stock sizes. This sets a new reference level, defined according to the amount of information available, and also takes account of the requirements for coastal and aboriginal whaling, as well as transitional arrangements in moving from the present to the proposed new schemes. The Scientific Committee had discussed this proposal, and also drew attention to difficulties it has with definition of some terms in the present management procedure.

Norway put forward a proposed new approach to management by identifying the species which may be harvested predominantly for nutritional purposes, prohibiting all other catches and catering for aboriginal/subsistence catches. This was intended as an introduction to revised procedures still being discussed, and the Technical Committee agreed to a small group with the same composition as the Rome Management Working Group continuing to study the proposals.

This group met during the course of the Annual Meeting and reported that because of the useful discussions held it would be desirable to continue with similar consultations. The Commission endorsed this activity and urged its continuation.

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