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agencies of the Contracting Governments or by public or private agencies (e.g., universities or private marine research laboratories). If investigations necessary to the purposes of the Convention cannot be arranged through existing Government, public, or private agencies, they should be under- taklengby3thd Commission, but only in accordance wyn approved Budgets. It is not contemplated that any such investigations conducted by Com- mission personnel or equipment would include field operations.

(2) The need for thorough consideration of the problems facing the Commission is paramount, and considerable time will be needed for assembling the material required for a determination of those problems. An informal interim committee of biologists might well be asked to assemble such material in advance of the coming into effect of the Con- vention, and the Government of Canada might take the initial measures to this end.

4. Statistics

It is important, for purposes of the Convention, that improved statistics of the commercial fisheries in the Convention area should be collected and the Commission should have responsibility for the compilation and distri- bution of the fishery statistics furnished by the Contracting Governments in such form and at such times as the Commission may require.

IV

The International Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Conference requests: That as soon as possible after entry into force of the International Con- vention for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries the Depository Government initiate steps for the holding of the first meeting of the International Com- mission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries at some place in North America, without prejudice, however, to the determination of the ultimate location of the seat of the Commission.

V

The International Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Conference received:

The following joint statement from the French and Spanish Delegations:-

"In the course of the Conference the French and Spanish Delegations have requested that the definition of coastal limits in the Convention area be put in said Convention.

"The Conference did not meet their request, considering that any discussion on this subject would lead to a definition of territorial waters and this matter was formally declared by the Conference out of its competence.

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"The French and Spanish Delegations had to yield to the above decision. Consequently they cannot agree to paragraph 2 of Article I, which, in their innermost belief, is a meddling of the Conference in the aforesaid matter."

VI

The International Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Conference records:

That, the Italian Delegation, not having received from its Government specific instructions on the text of paragraph 2 of Article I, as embodied in the Second Interim Draft of the Convention, abstained from voting on acceptance