§ Lord Molloyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What further action they are contemplating to stop the killing of whales.
§ The Earl of Strathmore and KinghorneThe last licence for commercial whaling by British vessels was issued in 1963 and whaling has been prohibited within our fishery limits since 1976. Her Majesty's Government will continue to work through the International Whaling Commission and other international bodies for effective measures to conserve and protect whales and other cetaceans, and will do so liaising closely with other countries and environmental interests who share these aims. At the 44th meeting of the International Whaling Commission, held in Glasgow from 29th June to 3rd July, it was agreed that the moratorium on all commercial whaling which has operated since 1985 should remain in force. Interim quotas, sought by whaling nations, were rejected. The commission agreed an II-point programme as the basis for its future action on humane killing. Agreement was reached on an extension of the Indian Ocean whale sanctuary for a further 10 years. The commission is planning scientific studies on a proposal for a circumpolar whale sanctuary in the Antarctic so that this may be discussed in detail at its 1993 meeting. Following British proposals, it has agreed to study the impact of global environmental changes on whale stocks. The commission once again pressed Japan and32WA Norway to reconsider their proposals for scientific whaling. The commission agreed further steps about the need to conserve and protect small cetacean stocks, and concluded a number of specific resolutions dealing with particularly threatened species. We welcome these results and have played a prominent part in their achievement.