The period of the 70s saw the birth of the moratorium concept and there
is no question that I played a significant role in its genesis. To some, it might appear that my current views represent a reversal of past beliefs, however, it should be noted that the original moratorium was designed to provide a ten year hiatus in commercial whaling to allow the IWC to put its house in order, and to provide some respite from the harvest to allow time for some recovery of the endangered whales.

The passage of the compromise New Management Procedure was, in my view,
a better solution than the 10 year moratorium in that it allowed a limited harvest of abundant whales, primarily the minke, and for all intents and purposes prevented the harvest of most great whales for periods that would last significantly longer than 10 years (whales have low reproductive rates and 10 years of non-harvest would probably not be marked by any measurable growth in their populations).