1984 Protocol Amending the Interim Convention on Conservation of 
North Pacific Fur Seals 

Done at Washington 12 October 1984 

Did not enter into force (interim convention expired before this 
protocol came into force) 

The Governments of Canada, Japan, the Union of Soviet Socialist 
Republics, and the United States of America, 

Parties to the Interim Convention on Conservation of North Pacific Fur 
Seals, signed at Washington on February 9, 1957, as amended and 
applied, hereinafter referred to as the Convention, 

Desiring to amend the Convention, 

Have agreed as follows: 

Article I 

The Convention shall be applied as amended by this Protocol as from 
the date of its entry into force. 

Article II 

In Article V, paragraph 2(e) of the Convention, "at the end of the 
twenty-fifth year after entry into force of the Convention" is 
replaced by "by October 13,1986". 

Article III 

In Article XI of the Convention, "in the twenty-sixth year after entry 
into force of the Convention" is replaced by "within the one year 
period prior to October 14,1987". 

Article IV 

In Article XIII of the Convention, paragraph 4 is replaced by the 
following: 

"4. The Convention shall continue in force until October 13,1987 and 
thereafter until the entry into force of a new or revised fur seal 
convention between the Parties, or until October 13, 1988, whichever 
may be the earlier; provided, however, that the Convention shall 
terminate one year from the day on which a Party gives written notice 
to the other Parties of an intention of terminating the Convention." 

Article V 

1. This Protocol shall be subject to ratification or acceptance. 
Instruments of ratification or acceptance shall be deposited with the 
Government of the United States of America as soon as possible. 

2. A signatory Government which intends to ratify or accept this 
Protocol may notify the Government of the United States of America 
that it will apply this Protocol provisionally in accordance with its 
laws and regulations pending the fulfilment of domestic constitutional 
requirements for ratification or acceptance. 

3. The Government of the United States of America shall notify the 
other signatory Governments of ratifications or acceptance deposited 
and of notifications of provisional application made. 

4. This Protocol shall enter into force provisionally on the date on 
which instruments of ratification or acceptance have been deposited 
with or the notifications of provisional application as referred to in 
paragraph 2 above have been made to the Government of the United 
States of America by all the signatory Governments . It shall continue 
in force provisionally until the date on which it enters into force 
definitively in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 5. 

5. This Protocol shall enter into force definitively on the date on 
which instruments of ratification or acceptance have been deposited 
with the Government of the United States of America by all the 
signatory Governments. 

6. The original of this Protocol shall be deposited with the 
Government of the United States of America, which shall communicate 
certified copies thereof to each of the Governments signatory to this 
Protocol. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorized by their 
respective Governments, have signed this Protocol. 

DONE at Washington this 12th day of October, 1984, in the English, 
French, Japanese, and Russian languages, each text being equally 
authentic. 

STATEMENT BY THE GOVERNMENTS OF CANADA, JAPAN, THE UNION OF SOVIET 
SOCIALIST REPUBLICS, AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ON THE SIGNING 
OF THE 1984 PROTOCOL AMENDING THE INTERIM CONVENTION ON CONSERVATION 
OF NORTH PACIFIC FUR SEALS 

The Governments of Canada, Japan, the Union of Soviet Socialist 
Republics, and the United States of America (hereinafter referred to 
as the "Governments"), Parties to the Interim Convention on 
Conservation of North Pacific Fur Seals, as amended and applied 
(hereinafter referred to as the "Convention), noted that, through 
their efforts, the North Pacific Fur Seal Commission (hereinafter 
referred to as the "Commission) has made an important contribution 
during the past quarter century to the conservation and management of 
North Pacific fur seal resources, and to the maintenance of a healthy 
ecosystem that includes such resources. 

Therefore, the Governments expressed their intention to ratify or 
accept the 1984 Protocol Amending the Interim Convention on 
Conservation of North Pacific Fur Seals in order to enable the 
Commission to continue its effective role in achieving the objectives 
of the Convention. 

At the same time, the Governments noted that concern had been 
expressed on the decline of the fur seal populations, current economic 
conditions, and other problems of fur seal conservation and 
utilization. 

As a result of the concern expressed, the Governments have expressed 
their shared view: 

(1) that, in accordance with Article II of the Convention, additional 
research should be conducted concerning current aspects of fur seal 
conservation including the problem of entanglement of fur seals in 
lost or discarded fishing nets, gear, and other debris; 

(2) that, in accordance with Article X of the Convention, and in 
conformity with their national laws, the Governments will take 
appropriate measures to prohibit the disposal at sea in the Convention 
areas of synthetic materials, such as fishing nets, or parts thereof, 
fishing gear, ropes, packing bands, and other debris which might lead 
to the entanglement of fur seals, in accordance with the provisions of 
the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of 
Wastes and Other Matter, of December 29, 1972; 

(3) that, in accordance with Article X of the Convention, it may be 
necessary during the interim period of the Convention to take into 
account unforeseen circumstances as noted by the States of fur seal 
origin in considering measures to be taken for conservation and 
management of the fur seal populations; and 

(4) that, taking into account Article XIII, paragraphs 4 and 5, as 
well as Article V, paragraph 2(e), within two years after the entry 
into force of the 1984 Protocol Amending the Interim Convention on 
Conservation of North Pacific Fur Seals and considering current 
factors, the Governments will review the operation of the Convention 
to determine what further agreements would be desirable in order to 
achieve the objectives of the Convention. 

DONE at Washington this 12th day of October, 1984 in the English, 
French, Japanese, and Russian languages, each text being equally 
authentic.