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Catch Limits — The IWC set catch limits for the 

 forthcoming whaling seasons resulting in a 24 percent 

 reduction in the total limit set at last year's meeting 

 (from 12,371 to 9,390) . Among the most significant changes 

 in permissible catch levels were the following: the quota 

 for the northeastern Atlantic minke whale stock taken by 

 Norway was reduced from 1,6 90 to 63 5; the quota for the 

 Southern Hemisphere minke whales taken by Brazil, the U.S.S.R., 

 and Japan was reduced from 7,072 to 6,655; the quota for 

 the East China Sea Bryde ' s whales taken by the Republic of 

 Korea was reduced from 10 to zero; and the quota for West 

 Greenland minke whales taken by Denmark (Greenland) and 

 Norway was reduced from 444 to 300. The quota for 1984 and 

 thereafter governing the taking of the western North Pacific 

 population of sperm whales by Japan had already been set at 

 zero, as discussed in the Commission's previous Annual 

 Report, and this was not modified. 



The Cold Harpoon — The IWC ' s ban on the use of the 

 cold (non-exploding) harpoon to kill minke whales for 

 commercial purposes became effective at the beginning of the 

 1982/83 pelagic and the 1983 coastal whaling seasons. At its 

 1983 meeting, the IWC reviewed the report of a Technical 

 Committee working group on humane killing and information on 

 the extent of compliance with the ban. Particular reference 

 was made to the whaling activities of Japan, Norway, and the 

 U.S.S.R., all of which had filed objections to both the cold 

 harpoon ban and the cessation. Japan was congratulated for its 

 successful efforts to develop an effective and safe exploding 

 harpoon to kill minke whales which had resulted in total 

 compliance with the ban, notwithstanding Japan's objection. 

 Norway pledged its best efforts toward total compliance with 

 the ban during the 1984 coastal season, including final safety 

 testing, production, and distribution of the exploding 

 harpoon that it had developed. The U.S.S.R. reported no 

 progress toward compliance with the ban. 



Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling -- At its 1982 meeting, 

 the IWC adopted amendments to its Schedule of regulations 

 setting forth an aboriginal subsistence whaling scheme and 

 procedures for setting catch limits for such whaling in 1984 

 and thereafter. The amendments codify the IWC ' s practice of 

 distinguishing between commercial and aboriginal subsistence 

 whaling and attempting, where necessary, to strike a balance 

 between the needs of aboriginal peoples who depend on limited 

 whaling to meet their subsistence, cultural, and nutritional 

 needs and the conservation needs of affected whale populations. 



