§ Mr. James Johnsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what have been the results of the special meeting of the International Whaling Commission held in London in May; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HoyThe Commission unanimously agreed to recommend to Governments that for next season the catch limit for baleen whales taken by factory ships engaged in pelagic whaling in the Antarctic should be reduced to 4,500 blue whale units; and that they should support further reductions for the 1966–67 and 1967–68 seasons which would ensure that by the latter season the limit will be reduced to a level which will enable the stocks to begin re-building. The countries concerned also agreed to meet in June before the next annual meeting of the Commission to discuss proposals for the allocation of quotas, and for the implementation of the International Observer Scheme.
I regard these results as welcome evidence of the determination of the Commission to ensure that adequate measures, based on the scientific evidence, will be taken to ensure the effective conservation of the whale stocks.