Link to text of agreement
Status of agreement

The Arrangements for the Regulation of Antarctic Pelagic Whaling were an ad hoc agreement to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling between a number of (then) active whaling States parties to that Convention, namely: Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom. The Arrangements determined quotas for the allocation of the total annual catch authorised under the IWC Convention between the Parties, and a system for transferring these quotas between Parties. The Arrangements also contained an agreement to limit fishing effort, by means of a prohibition on each party of any increase in the number of factory ships operating in the Antarctic (except by purchase from the country of another party of factory ships engaged at the time of purchase in Antarctic pelagic whaling and also a specific exception for the USSR to allow an increase of one vessel). The transfer of ships to the jurisdiction of another country (party to the IWC Convention) was also prohibited unless a part of the quota of the transferor country was allocated to new country and the latter agreed to accept the obligations of the Arrangements or guaranteed that the ships would not be used in Antarctic pelagic whaling.

The Arrangements were supplemented by two further agreements. The first of these, adopted simultaneously with the principal Arrangements, was a set of Supplementary Arrangements between four of the Parties (Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom). Under these Arrangements, which were operative during the period of operation of the Main Arrangements, provision was made, in certain circumstances, for additional quotas (expressed in terms of blue whale units) to be made available to the Netherlands, with the additional catches coming from the quotas allocated to the other Parties. The second agreement, adopted on 28 October 1963, was an Agreement concerning an International Observer Scheme for Factory Ships engaged in Pelagic Whaling in the Antarctic. The Agreement provided for the appointment by the International Whaling Commission of observers on vessels of the Parties engaged in pelagic whaling in the Antarctic. The Agreement established rules for the appointment and financing of observers and specified their rights and functions. The latter included verifying the observance of the provisions of the IWC Convention, including the Schedule, in the whaling operations, examining records and data required to be kept or supplied in accordance with the Schedule and drawing up reports covering any infractions. These Arrangements, which required acceptance by all five Parties to the principal Arrangements, never formally entered into force as the Soviet Union did not deposit an instrument of acceptance.

- Additional references

Original and supplementary arrangements: 486 UNTS 263; 1963 UKTS No. 89
Agreement on Observer Scheme: Cmnd. 2209 (UK); (1964) 3 ILM 107

Internet Guide to International Fisheries Law
Created by Christopher Hedley
Disclaimer, Copyright and Terms of Use
© OceanLaw and C. Hedley