WHALING CATCHES

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31109, 12 July 1966, Page 15

WHALING CATCHES

Reduction For Next Season (N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) LONDON, July 11. Antarctic whale catchers are to be cut next winter in a bid to conserve the dwindling whale population. The international Whaling Commission has announced that it will reduce the permitted catch by factory ships, in 1966-67 from the present 4500 units to a new maximum of 3500. The commission gave notice of a possible further cut the following season. Whalers using land bases are being asked to continue the voluntary restriction on catches they agreed to last year. The commission expressed concern at the number of whales being caught by land stations in countries which are not members of the International Whalers Commission. These will be asked to support the commission's measures. The communique did not mention any countries by name, but it is understood that operations by Chile and Peru were specifically discussed. The commission has extended for a further year the ban on the killing of humpback whales in the North Pacific, and has extended to the whole of the southern hemisphere the existing ban in the killing of blue whales in the Antarctic. It will consider a scheme to assign international observers to factory ships and land bases. The commission confirmed earlier reports that Japan, Soviet Union, Norway and Britain had been unable to agree on how to share the Antarctic catch, and will try again at a meeting in Tokyo shortly.