MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION - Annual Report for 1998 



International Whaling Commission 



The failure of the International Whaling Commis- 

 sion (IWC) to regulate commercial whaling effectively 

 prior to the 1970s allowed many whale stocks to be 

 reduced to levels approaching biological extinction. 

 This was one of the factors that led to passage of the 

 Marine Mammal Protection Act and establishment of 

 the Marine Mammal Commission. Since it was estab- 

 lished, the Marine Mammal Commission, in consul- 

 tation with its Committee of Scientific Advisors, has 

 continued to provide advice to the Department of 

 Commerce and the Department of State on measures 

 necessary to restore depleted whale stocks and to en- 

 sure that commercial and aboriginal subsistence 

 whaling does not cause any whale stock to be reduced 

 or maintained below its optimum sustainable level. 

 Activities related to the 1998 annual meeting of the 

 IWC are described below. 



Preparations for the 1998 IWC Meeting 



Among the principal issues facing the IWC and its 

 Scientific Committee at their 1998 meetings were the 

 following: 



• commercial whaling being conducted by Norway 

 without IWC authorization; 



• development of a Revised Management Scheme, 

 particularly with respect to surveillance and control 

 measures that are needed before commercial 

 whaling might resume; 



• a request by Japan for a catch authorization of 50 

 North Pacific minke whales to be taken by coastal 

 community-based whalers; 



• the future of the IWC; 



• development of a new management regime for 

 aboriginal subsistence whaling; 



• the continued killing of minke whales by Japan in 

 the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean 

 for purposes of scientific research; 



• comprehensive assessments of stocks of right 

 whales, humpback whales, minke whales, Bryde's 

 whales, and sperm whales; 



• the effects of climate change on whale stocks; and 



• the relationship between the IWC and other inter- 

 national organizations. 



The Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and 

 Atmosphere currently serves as the U.S. Commission- 

 er to the IWC. The commissioner has lead responsi- 

 bility for developing and pursuing U.S. positions on 

 all matters related to the IWC. To assist in formulat- 

 ing policies that are both scientifically sound and 

 supported by the American public, the National 

 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration holds a 

 series of public/interagency meetings each year to 

 seek the views of government agencies, non-gov- 

 ernmental organizations, and members of the public. 



Meetings of the public/interagency committee were 

 held on 23 January, 6 March, and 1 May 1998 to 

 review U.S. positions for the 1998 meeting of the 

 IWC. In addition, a meeting of the committee was 

 held on 4 December 1998 to review preparations for 

 the 1999 meeting. A representative of the Marine 

 Mammal Commission attended these meetings as part 

 of the Commission's efforts to work with officials of 

 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

 the Department of State, and the Department of the 

 Interior to develop agreed positions. 



Intersessional Meetings — Although formal action 

 by the IWC is generally confined to annual meetings, 

 work goes on throughout the year to prepare for those 

 meetings. In 1998 two intersessional meetings took 

 place. Representatives of the United States participat- 

 ed in both meetings. 



Commissioners from 17 member nations met in 

 Antigua on 3-5 February 1998 to discuss an Irish 

 proposal concerning the future of the IWC. As 

 discussed below, Ireland introduced an initiative at the 

 1997 meeting to allow some whaling to resume in 

 coastal areas, while prohibiting whaling in most other 

 areas as a possible way of breaking an impasse that 

 has developed between pro- and anti-whaling nations. 

 Although the commissioners made little progress 

 toward resolving differences over the Irish proposal, 

 they agreed to continue discussing the issue at the 

 IWC's 1998 meeting in Oman. 



The IWC's Scientific Committee convened a 

 special meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, on 

 19-25 March 1998 to prepare a comprehensive assess- 

 ment of right whales worldwide. Meeting participants 

 noted that right whale populations off Argentina, 



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