e. it is in the common interest to achieve the optimum level of whale stocks as rapidly as possible 

 without causing widespread economic and nutritional distress; 



f. in the course of achieving these objectives, whaling operations shall be confined to those species best 

 able to sustain exploitation in order to give an interval for recovery to certain species of whales now 

 depleted in number; 



g. it is desirable to establish a system of international regulation for whale fisheries to ensure proper and 

 effective conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling 

 industry. * ^ ^ 



The States Parties to the Convention are Argentina, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, 

 Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United 

 Kingdom and the United States. 



2. Administrative Organization and Powers 



The States Parties agree to establish an International Whaling Commission composed of one member 

 from each Party, who may be accompanied by one or more experts and advisers.'^* Decisions of the 

 Commission are taken by a simple majority of those members voting, with each member having one 

 vote, but a three-fourths majority is required to adopt conservation measures.' ^ ' The Commission elects 

 a Chairman and Vice Chairman from its own members and appoints its own secretary and staff. ' ^ * 



The Commission is entrusted with the following functions, which it may discharge in collaboration 

 with or through independent agencies of the States Parties or other public or private agencies, 

 establishments, or organizations, or independently: 



a. encourage, recommend, or if necessary, organize studies and investigations relating to whales and 

 whaling; 



b. collect and analyze statistical information concerning the current condition and trend of the whale 

 stocks and the effects of whaling activities therein; 



c. study, appraise, and distribute information concerning methods of maintaining and increasing the 

 populations of whale stocks; 



d. arrange for the publication of reports of its activities and publish independently or in collabora- 

 tion with the International Bureau for Whaling Statistics at Sandefjord in Norway and other organi- 

 zations and agencies such reports as it deems appropriate as well as statistical, scientific and other 

 pertinent information relating to whales and whaling; and 



e. make recommendations, from time to time, to the State Parties on any matters which relate to whales 

 or whaling and to the objectives and purposes of the Convention. * ^ ^ 



A Schedule to the Convention, made an integral part thereof, contains the detailed conservation 

 measures to which the parties have agreed. In general, they contain provisions, which the Commission is 

 authorized to amend from time to time, fixing protected and unprotected species; open and closed 



12 5 



Convention, Preamble. 

 *^*/d., Alt. Ill (1). 

 '^''/d, Alt. ni(l), (2). 

 '^^/d, Art. Ill (2), (3). 

 '^'/d., Alt. IV, VI. 



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