§ Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report the latest information available on the number of whales taken by British vessels in each of the last three years, the value of the whales killed, and the total world catch and value for the same 7W periods, and the estimated total numbers of commercially exploited whales, specifying the species.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThere is no record of any whales being taken by British vessels in the period specified.
The total recorded catch of baleen and sperm whales in the last three years for which figures are available, was as follows:
1974–75 40,488 1975–76 30,937 1976–77 27,109 SOURCE: International Whaling Statistics Vol. LXXXI 1978.
It is not possible to estimate accurately the value of these catches.
The present estimated total world population of those species of baleen and sperm whales commercially exploited by members of the International Whaling Commission, is as follows:
Southern Hemisphere (000's) Northern Hemisphere (000's) Fin 80 15–30 Sei 50–100 8.6–23 Bryde's 8 20 Minke 200 No estimate given Sperm 375 180 Source: United Kingdom proposals concerning cetacean presented to the second meeting of the conference of the parties to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora