11. INFRACTIONS, 1987 SEASON (1988)

11. INFRACTIONS, 1987 SEASON

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

11.1 Report of Technical Committee Infractions Sub-committee
The Infractions Sub-committee met under the chairmanship of Dr J.E. Edmunds (St Lucia), and was attended by delegates from Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Iceland, Japan, Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Sweden, UK and the USA.

11.1.1 Infractions reports from Contracting Governments
The Sub-committee reviewed the infractions reports from commercial whaling operations in 1987 in which only one infraction occurred.

Infractions from aboriginal subsistence whaling operations were noted. This included the exceeding of the quota in West Greenland due to administrative problems. St Vincent & the Grenadines stated that every effort was being made to ensure that its operation does not take calves or female whales accompanied by calves in the future as happened in 1987. Domestic legislation and appropriate sanctions for non-compliance are under discussion.

In discussing the surveillance of whaling operations, Denmark had noted that the opportunistic nature of the Greenlandic hunt made the logistics of inspection very difficult. The Sub-committee, whilst appreciating the difficulties involved in surveillance of such opportunistic operations, recommended that the Technical Committee suggests that the Government of Denmark investigates the possibility of establishing an inspection procedure for Greenlandic aboriginal subsistence whaling.

The Sub-committee reviewed the responses to the checklist of information required or requested under Section VI of the Schedule and a document compiled by the Secretariat summarising the national laws and regulations submitted by member nations.

The Sub-committee noted that only one infractions report remains outstanding from previous years; that for the catch of 160 whales authorised to be taken by Peru in 1984. The Sub-committee repeated its previous recommendation that the Government of Peru be urged to submit its outstanding Infractions report.

The Sub-committee noted the response of the Philippines Government to a request made last year that it should comment on a document presented to the Sub-committee containing allegations of infractions. The Government informed the Sub-committee that whaling operations had ceased on 24 April 1986.

11.2 Action arising
The report of the Sub-committee was adopted by the Technical Committee after amendment of various tabulated information, and its recommendations endorsed by the Commission.