Amendments to the Schedule to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, Tokyo, 1978

________________________________

International Whaling Commission The Red House, Station Road, Histon, Cambridge CB4 4NP Telephone: 022023 3971 Telegrams: Interwhale Cambridge

Chairman Thordur Asgeirsson (Iceland) Vice-Chairman M.C. Mercer (Canada) Secretary Dr. Ray Gambell

6 April 1979

RG/PRM/2352

CIRCULAR COMMUNICATION TO CONTRACTING GOVERNMENTS International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, 1946 Amendments to the Schedule

The Secretary refers to his circular letter of 5 January 1979 (ref: RG/PRM/2194) notifying Contracting Governments of the amendments to the Schedule of the Convention agreed at the Special Meeting of the Commission held in Tokyo, 19-20 December 1978. No objections have been received to the amendments, a copy of which is enclosed, and they therefore become binding on all Contracting Governments from 6 April 1979. A revised edition of the Schedule is being printed and will be circulated shortly.

The Secretary requests an acknowledgement of this communication, a copy of which is being sent to all Commissioners.

Dr. R. Gambell Secretary to the Commission

International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, 1946 Amendments to the Schedule

1.

At the Special Meeting held in Tokyo, 19-20 December 1978, the Commission agreed to the following amendments to the Schedule:

A. Substantive amendments

Table 2. Sperm whale stock classifications and catch limits

Amend entry for Southern Hemisphere Division 5 to read:

Amend entries for North Pacific to read:

¹ Provisionally listed as SMS for 1979.

² Included within this figure there may be a by-catch of females not to exceed 11.5% and all whaling operations are to cease when the by-catch is reached."

Amend second part of paragraph 26 and renumber it as new paragraph 27 to read:

"Notification shall be given in accordance with the provisions of Article VII of the Convention with regard to all factory ships and catcher ships of the following statistical information:

(a) The name and gross tonnage of each factory ship.

(b) For each catcher ship attached to a factory ship or land station

(i) The dates on which each is commissioned and ceases whaling for the season

(ii) The number of days on which each is at sea on the whaling grounds each season

(iii) Where possible, the time spent each day on different components of the catching operation

(iv) The gross tonnage, horsepower, length and other characteristics of each; vessels used only as tow boats should be specified

(v) Any modification of the above measures or data from other suitable indicators of fishing effort for "small-type whaling" operations.

(c) A list of the land stations which were in operation during the period concerned, and the number of miles searched per day by aircraft, if any.

The information required under paragraphs (b)(iii) to (b)(v) should be recorded in the log book format shown in Appendix A."

Paragraph 14

Amend to read:

"14. The number of sperm whales taken in the Southern Hemisphere in the 1978/79 pelagic season and the 1979 coastal season shall not exceed 3820 males and 1055 females. The total catch in any of the Divisions 1 to 9 shall not exceed the limits shown in Table 2."

Paragraph 28

Renumber as 29.

Amend existing paragraph 27 and renumber as 28 to read:

27. (a) Where possible all factory ships and land stations shall collect from each whale taken and report on:

(1) both ovaries or the combined weight of both testes.

(2) at least one ear plug, or one tooth (preferably first mandibular).

(b) Where possible similar collections to those described in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph shall be undertaken and reported by small-type whaling operations conducted from shore or by pelagic fleets.

(c) All specimens collected under sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) shall be properly labelled with the platform or other identification number of the whale and be appropriately preserved.

(d) A Contracting Government shall arrange for the analysis as soon as possible of the tissue samples and specimens collected under sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) and report on the results of such analyses.

Catcher name .............................................. Year built ............................................

Attached to expedition/land station ...........................................................................

Season .....................................................

Overall length ................................................... Wooden/steel hull

Gross tonnage ...................................................

Type of engine .................................................. H.P. .............................................

Maximum speed ............................................... Ave. searching speed ...........................

Asdic set, make and model no. .....................................................................................

Date of installation .............................................

Make and size of cannon ......................................................................

Type of first harpoon used (explosive, electric, non-explosive) ........................................

Type of killer harpoon used ...........................................................

Length and type of forerunner .......................................................

Type of whaleline ..........................................................................

Height of barrel above sea level .....................................................

Speedboat used, Yes/No

Name of captain ....................................................................

Number of years experience .................................................

Name of gunner ....................................................................

Number of years experience .................................................

Number of crew ....................................................................

_____________________________________________________________________

Date ............................ Catcher name .............................................. Sheet No. ..............

Signed ...............................................

The amendments read as follows:

New paragraph to precede the present paragraph 5 in Section III Capture, all succeeding paragraphs to be renumbered:

"5. In accordance with Article V(1)(c) of the Convention, commercial whaling, whether by pelagic operations or from land stations, is prohibited in a region designated as the Indian Ocean Sanctuary. This comprises the waters of the Northern Hemisphere from the coast of Africa to 100 degrees East, including the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Oman; and the waters of the Southern Hemisphere in the sector from 20 degrees East to 130 degrees East, with the Southern boundary set at 55 degrees South. This prohibition applies irrespective of the classifications of baleen or toothed whale stocks in the Sanctuary, as may from time to time be determined by the Commission. This prohibition will apply for ten years, with the provision for a general review after five years, unless the Commission decides otherwise."

Paragraph 8 [old numbering, new paragraph 9]

Add new sub-paragraph to read:

"9. (d) Notwithstanding the other provisions of paragraph 9 there shall be a moratorium on the taking, killing, or treating of whales, excluding minke whales, by factory ships or whale catchers attached to factory ships."

Paragraph 9 [old numbering, new paragraph 10]

Amend to read:

"10. The number of baleen whales taken during the open season in the Southern Hemisphere by factory ships, land stations or whale catchers attached thereto under the jurisdiction of the Contracting Governments shall not exceed 8102 minke whales and 264 Bryde's whales in the 1979/80 pelagic season and the 1980 coastal season. The total catches taken in any of the Areas I to VI shall not exceed the limits shown in Table 1. However, in no circumstances shall the sum of the Area catches exceed the total quotas for each species."

Paragraph 10 [old numbering, new paragraph 11]

Amend to read:

"11. The number of baleen whales taken in the North Pacific Ocean and dependent waters in 1980 and in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1980 shall not exceed the limits shown in Table l."

Table 1

Amend to read as shown (appended).

Paragraph 11 [old numbering, new paragraph 12]

Amend to read:

"... with respect to the Bering Sea stock of bowhead whales that:

(a) in 1980, hunting shall cease when either 26 have been struck or 18 landed,

(b) it is forbidden to strike, take or kill calves or any bowhead whale accompanied by a calf."

Paragraph 14 [old numbering, new paragraph 15]

Amend to read:

"15. The number of sperm whales taken in the Southern Hemisphere in the 1979/80 pelagic season and the 1980 coastal season shall not exceed 580. The total catch in any of the Divisions 1 to 9 shall not exceed the limits shown in Table 2."

Paragraph 15 [old numbering, new paragraph 16]

Amend to read:

"16. The number of sperm whales taken in the North Pacific Ocean and dependent waters in 1980 and in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1980 shall not exceed the limits shown in Table 2."

Table 2

Amend to read as shown (appended).

New paragraph to be added before paragraph 29 [old numbering, new paragraph 31]

"30. A Contracting Government shall provide the Secretariat with proposed scientific permits before they are issued and in sufficient time to allow the Scientific Committee to review and comment on them. The proposed permits should specify:

(a) objectives of the research;

(b) number, sex, size and stock of the animals to be taken;

(c) opportunities for participation in the research by scientists of other nations; and

(d) possible effect on conservation of the stock.

Proposed permits shall be reviewed and commented on by the Scientific Committee at Annual meetings when possible. When permits would be granted prior to the next Annual Meeting, the Secretary shall send the proposed permits to members of the Scientific Committee by mail for their comment and review. Preliminary results of any research resulting from the permits should be made available at the next Annual meeting of the Scientific Committee."

Paragraph 8(a) [old numbering, new paragraph 9(a)]

Amend fourth paragraph to read:

"For the 1979/80 pelagic season and the 1980 coastal season in the Southern Hemisphere and for the 1980 season in all other areas ..."

Paragraph 11 [old numbering, new paragraph 12]

Amend to read:

"Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 9 the taking ..."

Paragraph 18 [old numbering, new paragraph 19]

Amend to read:

"... classified as Protection Stocks in paragraph 9 or are taken ... in contravention of paragraphs 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 15 and 16 of this Schedule."

Paragraph 23 [old numbering, new paragraph 24]

Amend sub-paragraph 24(a)(3) to read:

"(3) Its marking effected pursuant to sub-paragraph 20(b)."

Amend sub-paragraph 24(b)(2) to read:

"(2) Length, measured pursuant to paragraph 23."

Paragraph 25 [old numbering, new paragraph 26]

Delete from sub-paragraph 26(a), line three, the words "Bryde's and".

Amend sub-paragraph 26(b) to read:

"... permitted by paragraph 10 ..."

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - 1979/80 pelagic season and 1980 coastal season

¹ Provisionally listed as IMS for 1980.

² Pending a satisfactory estimate of stock size.

³ The total catch of minke whales shall not exceed 1678 in the five years 1980 to 1984 inclusive.

⁴ The total catch of minke whales shall not exceed 3634 in the five years 1980 to 1984 inclusive.

⁵ Available to be taken by aborigines or a Contracting Government on behalf of aborigines pursuant to paragraph 12, but not for commercial purposes.

⁶ Pending analysis of available and new data.

⁷ Provisionally listed as SMS for 1980, pending the accumulation of sufficient information for classification.

⁸ The total catch of fin whales shall not exceed 1524 in the six years 1977 to 1982 inclusive.

⁹ The total catch of sei whales shall not exceed 504 in the six years 1980 to 1985 inclusive.

¹⁰ Provisionally listed as SMS for 1980.

1 Provisionally listed as SMS for 1980.

2 The catch in 1980 shall not exceed 550 or 50% of the 1978 catch and the catch in 1981 shall not exceed 300 or 25% of the 1978 catch, whichever is the lower in each year. The catch in 1982 shall be zero.

3 Included within this figure there may be a by-catch of females not to exceed 11.5% and all whaling operations for this species are to cease when the by-catch is reached.

4 Provisionally listed as PS for 1980, pending the accumulation of sufficient information for classification.

[1] Adopted at the special meeting of the International Whaling Commission. The Amendments entered into force for Australia and generally 6 April 1979.

[2] Adopted at the thirty-first meeting of the International Whaling Commission. The Amendments entered into force for Australia and generally 24 October 1979 except for an amendment to Table 1 (the catch limit of 143 fin whales for the Spain-Portugal-British Isles stock of the North Atlantic) which entered into force for Australia and generally, except Spain, 22 January 1980.