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IWC harvest statistics - 1977
This table shows all the catches of large whales which are known to the IWC, excepting for incidental catches.
  • It contains data from both member and non member nations.
  • The numbers include lost whales including any struck & lost.
  • The `other' column contains small whales (bottlenose, killer, pilot etc.) unless otherwise noted.
  • The table lists only small whales for which the IWC has individual records - no other small whales are included.
  • No numbers are given for the USSR pelagic catch prior to 1972 - the original `official' records are now known to have been falsified, and the correct numbers are currently being sought.
  • In 1972 the International Observer Scheme was instituted and the numbers are then thought to be more reliable.


If anyone has other information on catches of large whales which are not reported here, the IWC would be pleased to receive information on them.

The USA aboriginal catch is taken off Alaska and the USSR aboriginal catch off Kamchatka.

Abbreviations: * Indicates catches for which no individual data is available i.e. which are not included in the IWC database

Areas:

  • NA / SA : North / South Atlantic
  • At:  Atlantic
  • NP / SP: North / South Pacific
  • IO: Indian Ocean
  • SH: S. Hemisphere


    • L:   Lost       S/P:  Caught under special permit
Nation Area L S/P Dates Blue Fin Sperm Hback Sei Brydes Gray Minke Bowhd Other Total    
Denmark: Greenland NA   -   - 13 - 16 1 - - 286 - - 316 * Sei ID uncertain
Denmark: Faroe Is. NA   -   - - - - - - - 1 - - 1 *  
Iceland NA 1 - Jun77-Oct77 - 144 110 - 132 - - 192 - - 578   Minke: no data (ref: Sigurjönsson 82)
Norway NA - - Apr77-Aug77 - - - - - - - 1,773 - 7 1,78    
Spain NA - - Jun77-Nov77 2 151 90 - 5 - - - - - 248    
Portugal: Azores NA   -   - - 70 - - - - - - - 70 *  
Portugal: Madeira NA   -   - - 82 - - - - - - - 82 *  
USA NP 3 - Apr77-Oct77 - - - - - - - - 32 - 32   Inc 2 dauhval
USA (aboriginal) NP ? -   - - - - - - 1 - 79 - 80 *  
USSR (aboriginal) NP   -   - - - - - - 186 - - - 186 *  
USSR (pelagic) NP - - May77-Oct77 - - 3,266 - - 275 - - - - 3541    
Japan (pelagic) NP - - May77-Aug77 - - 1,061 - - 424 - - - - 1,485    
Japan NP - - Apr77-Mar78 - - 2,017 - - 76 - 248 - 52 2,393    
Korea NP   -   - 26 - - - - - 1,033 - - 1,059 *  
Taiwan NP   -   - - - - - 171 - - - - 171 *  
China NP   -   - - - - - - - ? - - ? * Estimate: 10-100Mi/yr, 1963-79
Brazil SA 6 - Jun77-Dec77 - - 25 - 5 - - 1 - - 1,03    
Chile SP   -   - - 40 - 15 - - - - - 55 *  
Peru SP   -   - 2 799 - 5 386 - - - - 1,192 *  
Australia (W) IO 1 - Apr77-Nov77 - - 625 - - - - - - - 625    
Tonga SP   -   - - - 4 - - - - - - 4 *  
Bahamas (Sierra) At   - 77season - ~96 - - ? ? - - - - ~96+? *  
USSR (pelagic) SH - 5 Nov77-Apr78 - - 4,241 - 311 5 - 2,6 - 80 7,237    
Japan (pelagic) SH - 114 Oct77-Mar78 - - 296 - 254 114 - 2,4 - - 3,064    

Source:
The Secretariat of the International Whaling Commission,
Cambridge, supplied to author October 1999 by IWC

IWC References:
Best Rep. Int. Whal. Commn. 42 (1992) 697-9
Gong 88 Bull.Nat Fish. Res. Dev. Agency 41: 35-54 (1988)
Kapel Rep. Int. Whal. Commn. 29 (1979) 197-200
Larson 90 Pers.Comm.
Park 87
Sigurjönsson Rep. Int. Whal. Commn. 32 (1982) 287-95

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