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Questions & Answers
Japan's whale research programs (JARPN and JARPNII)
Q: Can you describe Japan's whale research programs?
A: Japan has two whale research programs, one in the Antarctic that began in 1987 in response to claims by a number of members of the IWC that the scientific information was insufficient to properly manage whale stocks. This is the only long-term research program on whales in the Antarctic that is providing valuable information related to whales and the Antarctic ecosystem.
The other research program is carried out in the western North Pacific. This was originally a five year program which began in 1994. Phase II of this program began in August 2000.
Q: Are Japan's research programs a violation of the moratorium and the sanctuary in the Antarctic? Are Japan's whale research programs illegal?
A: No. Japan's whale research programs are perfectly legal. Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) specifically provides for members of the IWC to issue permits for the killing of whales for research purposes. Article VIII of the ICRW begins with the words "Notwithstanding anything contained in this Convention…" Further, both the moratorium and the Antarctic Sanctuary apply only to commercial whaling. Contrary to claims by Greenpeace, Japan's whale research programs are not a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Nothing in the UNCLOS diminishes or restricts in any way, rights provided by the ICRW.
Q: Why does Japan continue its whale research programs in the face of opposition from the IWC and world opinion?
A: Sustainable use and proper management of all marine resources should be based on scientific findings. Indeed, Article V of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling requires that it's regulations be "based on scientific findings".
Criticism of Japan's whale research program based on emotional reasons ignores both science and international law and is a rejection of the basic principle that resources should be managed on a scientific basis.
Anti-whaling is not the majority world-view. In fact, in 1992, the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, reaffirmed the provisions of the Convention on the Law of the Sea, an agreement that permits whaling on the high seas, and explicitly rejected the efforts of anti-whaling nations to exclude whales from the list of resources open to sustainable use and development. Further, at both the 1997 and 2000 Conferences of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, more than half the countries present supported the controlled use of minke whales. Many fishing nations including Norway, China, Korea, Russia and Iceland, as well as many developing countries support the sustainable use of all marine resources (including whales) and research programs that provide for science based resource management decisions.
Q: Aren't Japan's whale research program simply commercial whaling in disguise?
A: The treaty (ICRW) requires that the by-products of the research be processed. The fact that the whale meat ends up on the market is a requirement of the treaty to ensure that resources are not wasted. It is not a "loophole" or "illegal" or "commercial whaling in disguise" as the anti-whaling rhetoric suggests. Income from the sale of by-products (meat) is used to partially offset the cost of the research.
Q: What kind of research is being done?
A: Japan's research program in the Antarctic, which began with feasibility studies in 1987/88 and 1988/89 in response to claims of uncertainty of scientific information, has 4 objectives:
- Estimation of biological parameters to improve the stock management of the Southern Hemisphere minke whale,
- Examination of the role of whales in the Antarctic marine ecosystem,
- Examination of the effect of environmental changes on cetaceans and,
- Examination of the stock structure of the Southern Hemisphere minke whales to improve stock management.
The research program involves both a sighting survey whose primary purpose is the estimation of trends in abundance, and a sampling component.
Japan has conducted a whale research program in the western North Pacific from 1994 to1999 under Special Permit as provided for under Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). This program had two main objectives: the study of population structure of minke whales and the study of feeding ecology of minke whales in the western North Pacific. The program was reviewed by the IWC's Scientific Committee each year and at a review meeting held in February 2000.
Since some scientific issues remain outstanding following the 1994 — 1999 program, a second phase of the research began in July of this year. The priority for this phase of the research is feeding ecology involving studies on prey consumption by cetaceans, prey preferences of cetaceans and ecosystem modeling. Minke, Bryde's and sperm whales are included as part of this research. Other research objectives include the study of stock structure of minke, Bryde's and sperm whales as well as the study of environmental effects such as chemical pollution on cetaceans and the marine ecosystem.
More than 100 data items and samples are taken from each whale including ear plugs for age determination studies, reproductive organs for examination of maturation, reproductive cycles and reproductive rates, stomachs for analysis of food consumption and blubber thickness as a measure of condition.
Q: Why do you need to kill whales to do research? Can't you do the research by non-lethal means?
A: Japan's research programs involve both lethal and non-lethal research techniques such as sighting surveys and biopsy sampling. While certain information can be obtained through non-lethal means, other information requires sampling of internal organs such as ovaries, ear plugs and stomachs. For example, while the population age structure and reproductive rates of land mammals can be determined by observation over a long period of time, such is not the case for whales since they spend most of their time underwater. In this case we need ear plugs for age determination and ovaries to establish reproductive rates. Similarly, to study the interactions of whales and other parts of the marine ecosystem we need to know what they are eating. This is done by examining stomach contents.
Another example is that for pollution studies, tissue samples from various internal organs are required.
Q: Will research catches further deplete endangered species?
A: Certainly not. Most species of whale are not endangered. In fact, based on scientific data endorsed by the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee, we can say that many species are abundant. This is particularly true for minke whales in the Antarctic and minke, Bryde's whales and sperm whales in the western North Pacific that are the subject of Japan's whale research programs.
It is certain that the small take for research purposes will not have a negative impact on these stocks. For example, in the Antarctic, the research take is only 400 from a stock calculated by the IWC's Scientific Committee in 1990 to be 760,000 animals. For that population estimate, the Scientific Committee calculated that a take of 2,000 animals each year for the next 100 years would pose no threat. In the north Pacific, maximum of only 10 sperm whales in each of two years will be taken from a population estimated by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service to be over 2 million.
Q: At its Annual Meeting in July 2000, the IWC said that it could not provided reliable estimates of current minke whale abundance. With this uncertainty and the possibility that new estimates will show that the population has declined, how can you say the research catch for the past 13 years has not negatively impacted the population or that the current take is within safe limits?
A: The estimate for Southern Hemisphere minke whale population size agreed to by the IWC's Scientific Committee in 1990 was based on survey data from 1982/83 to 1989/90. This estimate was 760,000 animals. It is 10 years since that estimate was made and the Scientific Committee has now said that it its unable to provide reliable estimates of current minke whale abundance. We should not be surprised that over a period of 10 years, populations of individual species within a dynamic ecosystem may change. If new estimates are somewhat lower, it could be a natural consequence of a fast growing resource over-shooting and then returning to a new carrying capacity that reflects an increase in the population of other whale species. Whatever the new estimate may be, even if it were substantially lower than 760,000, it is clear that the population is abundant and in no way threatened by the small research take of 440 animals. In fact, much of the scientific data that the IWC's Scientific Committee will use to make its new population assessment will come from Japan's research program.
Q: Why do you need to kill so many whales for research? Why do you need so many samples?
A: In fact, the number of samples is small relative to the size of the populations being sampled. In the Antarctic, and North Pacific, the sample size of minke whales to be taken each year is the smallest number required to obtain statistically valid results. If we only sample only a few animals from a large population, the results have no meaning since they would not representative of the whole population. The sample size for the Bryde's and sperm whales to be taken in the North Pacific is smaller than is required for statistically significant results since the program for 2000 and 2001 is a feasibility study.
Determining the sample size is similar to carrying out public opinion surveys. Clearly, you can't sample the entire population to determine their attitude or opinion on some matter but you need to sample enough people so that the responses you get are representative of the entire population.
The research program in the Antarctic will be carried out over a period of 16 years. This period of time is required to examine trends in the changes of various population parameters. Sampling for only one or two years does not tell you what is going on in a dynamic system.
Q: Why does Japan conduct whale research in the Southern Ocean when it is an international whale sanctuary?
A: It is important to understand that the Southern Ocean Sanctuary applies only to commercial whaling. It does not apply to research. Japan's research catch of whales in the Antarctic is perfectly legal under Article VIII of the ICRW which provides that any contracting Government may issue a special permit authorizing the take of whales for scientific purposes.
The issue of scientific research on whales is of vital importance to the IWC since the Convention prescribes that regulations adopted by the Commission shall be based on scientific findings.
Q: Has the IWC Scientific Committee reviewed Japan's whale research programs?
A: Yes. Japan submits the results from its research to the IWC Scientific Committee for review every year. Both the quality and quantity of data from Japan's research programs have been commended by the Scientific Committee.
The IWC's Scientific Committee has noted that the programs have provided considerable data which could be directly relevant for management and that the results of these programs have the potential to improve the management of minke whales.
The Scientific Committee has also noted that non-lethal means to obtain some of this information are unlikely to be successful particularly in the Antarctic.
See for example: IWC document 49/4 Report of the Scientific Committee, 1997, which is the source of the following quotes:
"The information produced by JARPA (Japan's Antarctic Research Program) has set the stage for answering many questions about long term population changes regarding minke whales in Antarctic Areas IV and V."
"…JARPA has already made a major contribution to understanding of certain biological parameters."
"The Committee noted that JARPA is at the half-way point and has provided substantial improvement in the understanding of stock structure."
"…there was general agreement that the stock structure data were of value to management."
"…the meeting noted that there were non-lethal methods available…but that logistics and the abundance of minke whales in the relevant Area probably precluded their successful application."
See also, IWC document: Report of the Workshop to Review the Japanese Whale Research Programme under Special Permit for North Pacific Minke Whales (JARPN), Tokyo, 7-10 February 2000 from which the following quotes are taken:
" …its (IWC Scientific Committee's) previous advice that the effect of a small take for a short period would be negligible."
"the Workshop noted that…information obtained during JARPN had been and will continue to be used in the refinement of Implementation Simulation Trials for the North Pacific minke whales, and consequently were relevant to their management."
Q: What has been learned from Japan's research programs?
A: Much has been learned about the feeding habits of whales through analysis of stomach contents. The research has found for example that whales are consuming 3 to 5 times the amount of marine living resources as are caught for human consumption. In the waters around Japan we have a situation of declining catches in certain fisheries while at the same time the sampling from our research program reveals that minke whales are eating at least 10 species of fish including Japanese anchovy, Pacific saury, walleye Pollock and other commercially important species. Other valuable information related to genetic make-up, reproduction and geographical distribution has also resulted from these research programs. Our research has also showed that contaminant levels in Antarctic minke whales are very low.
Q: Why has Japan expanded its whale research program in the North Pacific to include other species?
A: The priority for JARPN II is feeding ecology involving studies on prey consumption by cetaceans, prey preferences of cetaceans and ecosystem modeling. Minke, Bryde's and sperm whales are included as part of this research. Other research objectives include the study of stock structure of minke, Bryde's and sperm whales as well as the study of environmental effects such as chemical pollution on cetaceans and the marine ecosystem.
Minke, Bryde's and sperm whales were selected for this research since they are likely major components of the large whale biomass in the region and because their populations are abundant. For example, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has estimated that the world population of sperm whales is more than 2 million animals and the population in the research area is 102,000. This means that for sperm whales, there are likely 4 times as many animals with a body size close to 10 times that of minke whales. Clearly, they require very substantial amounts of fisheries resources for food. The IWC's Scientific Committee has calculated populations of 25,000 minke whales and 22,000 Bryde's whales in the research area. The research program is a feasibility study for the years 2000 and 2001. A total of 100 minke whales, 50 Bryde's whales and 10 sperm whales will be sampled in each of these two years.
Many international fisheries organizations have urged the development of multi-species management systems. This means that predator — prey relationships among the major components of an ecosystem must be understood. Prey consumption by cetaceans is therefore the main part of the proposed research. Prey consumption and prey preference data will be used as input for ecosystem models. In other words, the researh program is important for the management of whales but it is also important from a broader perspective. It is research responding to real issues such as the consumption of marine resources by cetaceans and pollution.
Cetacean/fisheries interactions have become a major issue worldwide. It is an important issue in the context of world food security since the estimates are that cetaceans consume 3 to 5 times the amount of marine resources harvested for human consumption. In the waters around Japan we have a situation of declining catches in certain fisheries while at the same time the sampling from our research program reveals that minke whales are eating at least 10 species of fish including Japanese anchovy, Pacific saury, walleye Pollock and other commercially important species. This issue must be addressed from a scientific perspective.
Q: What did the IWC Scientific Committee say about the new research in the North Pacific?
A: The new research program in the North Pacific was reviewed by the Scientific Committee at its meeting in July 2000. A number of questions and comments were received, mostly relating to methodology of surveys to estimate prey (squid) abundance. Japan provided detailed responses to all of the questions and indicated its willingness to answer any further questions. Japan noted that this is a feasibility study and that part of the reason for conducting a feasibility study is to examine questions of methodology.
Japan appreciated the substantial scientific interest in the proposal on the part of the Scientific Committee and the fact that there was no serious question or opposition to the stated purpose of the research.
Q: Why has the United States threatened sanctions if Japan does not stop its whale research?
A: Threats of sanctions against a perfectly legal and scientifically sound program are a provocative and an inappropriate attempt to impose their values. Sanctions against a perfectly legal program would also be a violation of international trade rules under the World Trade Organization (WTO).
It is important to understand that the treaty that established the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is a treaty designed specifically for the conservation of whales in order to make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry. It is not a treaty for the total protection of whales. It is a treaty whose purpose is to ensure the sustainable use of whale resources. Under Article VIII of this treaty, members of the IWC can issue permits for the taking of whales for research purposes. Japan's research program is therefore perfectly legal. Such special permits have been used in the past by a number of countries including the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The suggestion that the United States impose sanctions on Japan for its take of 10 sperm whales from a population of over 2 million at the same time that it supports the take of more than 60 bowhead whales in Alaska from a truly endangered (IUCN red list) and drastically depleted population of 7,000 is absurd. Most American's may not know it, but it is a fact that their Government supports the harvest of approximately the same amount of whale meat each year by Americans as the by-product resulting from Japan's whale research programs.