International Whaling Commission

The seventh annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission was held in Moscow from July 18 to 24, 1955. All of the seventeen member governments were represented except Brazil, and observers were present from Argentina, Italy, the Association of Whaling Companies, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and the Food and Agriculture Organization. At the end of his three-year term as chairman, tribute was paid to Dr. Remington Kellogg (United States), who was succeeded by Dr. G. J. Leinesch (Netherlands) for the succeeding three years. The Commission elected Mr. R. G. R. Wall (United Kingdom) as vice-chairman to replace Dr. Leinesch. After the Commission had considered the reports of the Technical Committee and the Scientific Committee, it adopted amendments to the schedule, containing the whaling regulations annexed to the 1946 Convention. It was reported that the decisions had not been unanimous and that none of the amendments to the schedule would come into operation until they had been submitted to all member governments, which had the right to object within a period of 90 days. The Commission decided to request the United States to proceed with the amendment of the 1946 Convention by means of a protocol so that helicopters and other aircraft could be brought within the jurisdiction of the Convention.