International Whaling Commission

Extract

The International Whaling Commission held its sixth meeting in Tokyo, Japan, from July 19 to 23, 1954. Represented were all of the seventeen member governments except Iceland. Observers were present from Argentina, Chile, Italy, Portugal, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Mr. A. T. A. Dobson (United Kingdom) acted as secretary of the meeting. The Commission approved its expenditure of £1,854 for financial year 1953/1954, and adopted a budget of £2,580 for 1954/1955. Attention was called to the great waste of resources represented by lost whales; the Commission accepted various suggestions from its technical committee for tightening up the present procedure with a view to reducing the number of infractions in the future. It was decided that the use of helicopters and other aircraft for the killing of whales should be brought within the scope of the Convention. A large number of recommendations emanating from the scientific committee were dealt with. The scientific committee's recommendation prompted a large number of proposals for the amendment of the regulations in force. At the invitation of the Soviet Union, the next meeting of the Commission was to be held in Moscow on July 18, 1955.