and consider modifying the provision and establishing catch 

 limits other than zero. 



Since 1982, no action has been taken at the IWC meetings, 

 including the 1989 meeting, to change this provision. Therefore, 

 catch limits for commercial whaling remain at zero for all stocks 

 of whales. Catch limits for commercial whaling will continue to 

 be set at zero unless and until a three-quarters majority of IWC 

 members votes to modify Schedule paragraph 10 (e) . 



Two nations, Norway and the Soviet Union, continued to 

 maintain objections to Schedule paragraph 10 (e) during 1989. 

 Under the 1946 Whaling Convention, this action removes the 

 obligation of their respective Governments to comply with the 

 requirements of the provision. However, neither nation engaged 

 in whaling under their objections in 1989. Thus, notwithstanding 

 the killing of whales during the course of scientific research 

 conducted under special permits (see below) , all IWC members 

 refrained from commercial whaling in 1989. 



As noted below and in previous Annual Reports, the IWC has 

 taken steps to plan for and undertake the comprehensive 

 assessment required by 1990 under Schedule paragraph 10 (e) . 



Comprehensive Assessment — At an April 1986 meeting of the 

 IWC Scientific Committee, a recommended work plan and timetable 

 were developed for conducting the comprehensive assessment. The 

 work plan was approved by the IWC that year and, as noted in 

 previous Annual Reports, various workshops and studies have since 

 been supported by the IWC to help provide the basis for 

 undertaking this assessment. 



At its 1989 meeting, the IWC Scientific Committee continued 

 to review progress and make recommendations on planning for the 

 comprehensive assessment. Results of its review were provided to 

 a Joint Working Group of the Technical and Scientific Committees 

 on the Comprehensive Assessment, and the reports of both bodies 

 were considered by the IWC at its meeting as discussed below. 



Recognizing that a comprehensive assessment could not be 

 completed for all whale stocks in 1990, the IWC agreed that 

 priority attention at and before the 1990 IWC meeting should be 

 directed towards three stocks of whales — Southern Hemisphere 

 minke whales, North Atlantic minke whales, and eastern North 

 Pacific gray whales. 



Adoption of catch limits other than zero will depend, in 

 part, on the existence of acceptable management procedures. Past 

 procedures used by the IWC failed to maintain whale stocks at 

 desired levels and, at recent meetings, it has been the U.S. 

 position that the moratorium provision is currently the preferred 

 management procedure until agreement on a new approach can be 



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