citizens and importation of whale products, as well as with U.S. 

 efforts at the U.N. Conference on the Human Environment that 

 resulted in a vote favoring a whaling moratorium. The U.S. 

 delegation, however, was unsuccessful in obtaining the necessary 

 three-fourths majority for approval within the Whaling 

 Commission. Nevertheless, the strength of the support for the U.S. 

 proposal created an atmosphere which made it possible to achieve 

 further improvements in the Commission's conservation program. 



Significant reductions were made in the catch quotas for fin 

 whales in the North Pacific and Antarctic, which should enable the 

 depleted stocks of this species to recover to some degree. Quotas 

 were also reduced for sei whales in the Antarctic and North Pacific 

 and for sperm whales in the North Pacific. For the first time, quotas 

 were imposed on the capture of sperm whales in the Southern 

 Hemisphere and minke whales in the Antarctic. It is significant that 

 a precautionary quota was imposed for the minke whales since they 

 have been exploited to only a slight degree. 



The Commission, in accordance with previous commitments, 

 eliminated the combined quota for Antarctic baleen whales. 

 Separate quotas for fin and sei whales were established to enable 

 more precise management. As previously recommended by the 

 Commission, a ^system of international observation for regulation 

 enforcement went into effect in 1972. In other actions, a number of 

 proposals made by the U.S. delegation were adopted to increase the 

 effectiveness of the Commission's conservation program. 



Precautionary quotas established by the International Whaling Commission 

 on minke whales assure the survival of this species. 



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