Catch limits — After passage of the deferred cessation 

 in plenary session, the IWC set catch limits resulting in a 

 reduction from the total limit of 14,070 set at last year's 

 meeting to 12,371 for the upcoming 1982/83 pelagic and 1983 

 coastal seasons. These quotas, together with the deferred 

 cessation, reflect the decision of the majority of IWC 

 members to accommodate and attempt to ease the difficulties 

 anticipated by whaling nations in attempting to cease 

 whaling operations and provide for a transition period. 

 Notwithstanding these accommodations, the quotas for all 

 but two stocks remained the same as or were reduced from 

 those set at the previous meeting. The quota for North 

 Pacific Bryde's whales, the first of the two exceptions, 

 was increased by 20 based upon the recommendation of the 

 Scientific Committee. The decision on the quota for the 

 western division North Pacific sperm whale stock (the other 

 exception) , however, was more complicated. Because of 

 major uncertainties and inadequacies relating to the data 

 and population dynamics models, the Scientific Committee 

 was unable to reach consensus on estimates of the initial 

 or current size of this stock or on its replacement yield 

 and effects of continued catches on the stock. As a 

 result, the Committee was unable to recommend a stock 

 classification or catch limits for the stock under the 

 applicable management procedures. 



In previous years, such circumstances would almost 

 certainly have led the IWC to leave the ban on killing 

 sperm whales from this stock in effect. Adoption of the 

 cessation, however, led to a compromise which, by a vote 

 of 14 to 3 with 15 abstentions, set the quota for the 1982 

 season at 450 and the quota for the 1983 season at 400, 

 including a by-catch of females up to 11.5 percent of the 

 total for each year. The quotas were reflected in the 

 Schedule in a new footnote providing an exception to the 

 footnote prohibiting any whales to be taken from this stock. 

 As a result, the quotas for the 1984 and 1985 seasons will 

 be zero unless the Commission decides by a three-fourths 

 majority vote to permit sperm whales to be killed. 



Cold harpoon -- As discussed in the previous Annual 

 Report, the IWC voted to ban the use of the cold harpoon to 

 kill minke whales, the ban to become effective with the 

 1982/83 pelagic and the 1983 coastal seasons. Brazil, 

 Iceland, Japan, Norway, and the U.S.S.R. all filed 

 objections to this ban. At the 1982 meeting, there were 

 no proposals to modify the ban and the IWC adopted a 

 resolution calling upon those nations to withdraw their 

 objections and comply with it. They did not do so, and the 

 issue remains unresolved. 



- 25 - 



