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The IWC attempted to implement the aboriginal 

 subsistence whaling scheme for the first time at the 1983 

 meeting by setting catch limits for Bering Sea bowhead 

 whales, eastern North Pacific gray whales, and West 

 Greenland fin, minke, and humpback whales. These efforts 

 resulted in adoption of a two-year quota for bowhead 

 whales allowing up to a total of 43 strikes during 1984 

 and 1985 but no more than 27 strikes in either year and a 

 provision for review and amendment of that limit at the 1984 

 meeting if necessary based upon the advice of the IWC ' s 

 Scientific Committee. The IWC also adopted catch limits of 

 179 for eastern North Pacific gray whales, 9 for West 

 Greenland humpback whales, 6 for West Greenland fin whales, 

 and 3 00 for West Greenland minke whales. 



Non-Consumptive Uses of Whales — The IWC reviewed the 

 report of the June 1983 Conference on the Non-Consumptive 

 Utilization of Cetacean Resources, that is, uses that do not 

 result in an animal's death. Following discussion of the 

 report, the IWC agreed that a working group of interested 

 members would be convened by St. Lucia before the 1984 

 meeting to examine the recommendations contained in the 

 report, report to the IWC as to such matters as may fall 

 within the competence of the IWC, and identify the financial 

 implications of any activities with respect to those matters. 

 It was also agreed that the establishment of the working 

 group did not imply any position of the IWC with regard to 

 the objectives of the Convention and that the proceedings 

 and report of the working group would not in any way 

 prejudice the position of the IWC or any of its members 

 with regard to the competence of the IWC under the Convention, 



Related Activities 



Throughout 1983, representatives of the Commission 

 participated in a variety of activities relating to IWC issues 

 designed to achieve acceptance and successful implementation 

 of the IWC ' s cessation decision when it comes into effect. 



As discussed in the Commission's previous Annual Report, 

 the potential adverse impacts of Japan's objection to the 

 cessation upon U. S. -Japanese relations, including fisheries, 

 were noted by members of Congress in the course of Congressional 

 action on 10 December 1982 approving the Governing Inter- 

 national Fishery Agreement between the United States and 

 Japan. In April 1983, Japan's allocation of fish that may 

 be caught within the United States' 200-mile Exclusive 

 Economic Zone was reduced by 102,000 metric tons, 

 approximately 9 percent of the anticipated total annual 

 allocation for 1983 which Japan would have received had it 

 not been for its lack of apparent progress in accepting the 

 cessation decision. In addition, representatives of the 



