THE INSTITUTE OF CETACEAN RESEARCH
4-5 TOYOMI-CHO, CHUO-KU, TOKYO 104-0055 JAPAN
PHONE: +81-3-3536-6521
FAX: +81-3536-6522

MEDIA RELEASE
7 November 2005

JARPA II* Research Fleet Departs for the Antarctic(*The Second Phase of the Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the Antarctic)

1. JARPAII Outline(1) Background
The Antarctic Ocean is the most productive ocean in the world, and hence the largest source ofmarine living resources including cetaceans. Commercial whaling started in 1904, but over-hunting
by several countries including the UK, Norway, Netherlands, USSR and Japan eventually led todepletion of the main cetacean resources such as blue whale and other larger species. In 1982, theInternational Whaling Commission (IWC) adopted the moratorium on commercial whaling. But,
even during that time, the Antarctic minke whale resource showed a consistent high level ofabundance. In addition, in recent years, scientific evidence has ascertained that the resources ofother whale species such as fin and humpback whales have made appreciable recoveries.
When the moratorium was first introduced, not even the scientific knowledge on Antarctic minke
whale resources was sufficient, and that was one of the reasons for its adoption. In order to resolvethese scientific uncertainties surrounding Antarctic whale resources, the Government of Japan
resolved then to engage in the systematic collection of scientific data on Antarctic minke whale, anddecided to launch the Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the Antarctic(JARPA), with the purpose of paving the way to achieve sustainable use of whale resources. With
the authorization and support of the Government, the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) started
JARPA on 1987/88 and executed the long-term program with duration of 18 years including a
two-year feasibility study. JARPA ended in the spring of 2005 with great success.
The results of JARPA for 17 years were discussed and examined in depth together withinternational experts and a representative from the IWC Scientific Committee during a review
meeting hosted by Japan in January 2005.
The JARPA research program has contributed greatly to the advancement of scientific knowledgeof whale resources in the Antarctic. JARPA made clear that Antarctic minke whale and common
minke whale are two separate species. JARPA provided a wide variety of information on biologicalparameters such as the natural mortality coefficient and changes over time in the age at maturity as
well as narrowing down the parameters of relevance for stock management.
The research program also elucidated that there are two Antarctic minke whale stocks in the
research area but that the geographical boundaries between these stocks are different from thoseused by IWC to manage baleen whale species in the Antarctic. Further, JARPA found that pollutant
concentration in whale tissues, such as heavy metals and PCBs, was extremely low, confirming theview that the Antarctic Ocean environment is one of the cleanest in the world. JARPA has thus
successfully obtained data related to the initially proposed objectives. It is expected that the results
will greatly contribute to the rational management of the Antarctic minke whale stocks.
Many baleen whales consume a sole key species, Antarctic krill, in the Antarctic ecosystem andresults from JARPA are consistent with the behavior to be expected of baleen whale species
competing for this dominant single food source. In view of the above, there is a need to monitor and1gather information on stock structures of the main whale species comprising the Antarctic marine
ecosystem as well as interactions among them for a better interpretation of the abundance
estimates and trends, for estimation of biological parameters, in order to elucidate their role in theAntarctic ecosystem.
Based on these considerations, the Government of Japan decided to launch a new comprehensive
study under the Second Phase of the Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in
the Antarctic (JARPA II), combining lethal and non-lethal methods. From 2005/06, the Institute ofCetacean Research will continue conducting the research under the authorization and support ofthe Government of Japan.
JARPA II will focus on Antarctic minke whale and the larger species, humpback and fin whales.
During the two years of feasibility study (2005/06 and 2006/07), only Antarctic minke and fin whales
will be sampled (i.e. humpback whale will not be sampled during the feasibility study). Practicability
and suitability of sighting method for the expanded research area and sampling method forincreased sample number and species will be examined in the feasibility studies, after which they
will be improved and changed as necessary.
JARPA II incorporates an additional dedicated sighting vessel in order to fully perform the sighting survey
component within the expanded research area.

(2) Objectives
The main objectives of JARPA II are 1) Monitoring of the Antarctic ecosystem, 2) Modeling competition
among whale species and future management objectives, 3) Elucidation of temporal and spatialchanges in stock structure and 4) Improving the management procedure for the Antarctic minke whalestocks.
2.

2005/06 Cruise Outline(1) Research period:

8 November 2005 to mid-April 2006

(2) Research area:

Eastern part of Area III, Area IV, western part and a part of eastern partof Area V (South of 60oS, 35oE – 175oE)(3) Research crew:

Research leader: Shigetoshi Nishiwaki (Director, Survey Division, ICR),
with 15 scientists from the Institute of Cetacean Research(4) Research fleet and crew (Including an inspector from the Government and researchers):
Research mother ship
Nisshin Maru
(8,030 tons Capt. D. Toyama; crew: 149)
Sighting/sampling vessel
Yushin Maru No. 2 (747 tons, Capt. K. Matsuzaka; crew: 19)“
Yushin Maru
(720 tons, Capt. T. Miura; crew: 19)“Kyo Maru No. 1(812.08 tons, Capt. K. Hirose; crew: 22)
Dedicated sighting vessel
Kyoshin Maru No. 2 (372 tons, Capt. K. Takeshita; crew: 21)“Kaiko Maru
(860.25 tons, Capt. K. Minami; crew: 22)
Total crew: 252(5) Sample size:

Antarctic minke whale 850±10%
Fin whale10

3. Research items
Main purpose of JARPA II is to monitor the Antarctic ecosystem, and therefore its continuity with
JARPA research is an important and critical factor. Because of this, the research methods forJARPA II are basically the same as the previous JARPA. The program involves both lethal and2non-lethal research techniques including the following:(1) Cetacean sighting record of large whale species including Antarctic minke whale
Sighting position, species, number of individuals and schools, water temperature, sighting
effort record.
(2) Biological data and tissue samplings (Antarctic minke whale and fin whale)
Collection of samples for analysis and determination of stock, age, maturity, reproductive
status, nutritional status and components, pollutants, sexual hormones, parasites, etc.
(3) Meteorological, oceanographic and environmental observations
Monitoring of weather conditions, ice, water temperature (including vertical profile of watertemperature and salinity with XCTD, XBT and CTD; monitoring of the epipelagic environment
with EPCS) and other oceanographic and meteorological factors; marine debris survey andscientific ecosounder survey for distribution and abundance of food organisms.
(4) Biopsy sampling
Main target species: Blue whale, Southern right whale, pigmy right whale, fin whale, seiwhale, Antarctic minke whale, humpback whale, sperm whale.
(5) Photo identification by natural marks
Target species: Blue whale, southern right whale and humpback whale.
(6) Satellite tagging experiment
Target species: Antarctic minke whale, blue whale, fin whale, humpback whale and Southern
right whale.

JARPA II 2005/2006 Research Area

目視調査 (60S以南, 35E－175E):

Sighting survey (south of 60S, 35E-175E)

Sampling(62S以南,survey (southof 62S, 35E-175E)
捕獲調査35E－175E):

III-E

IV-W

IV-E

V-W

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V-E

VI-W

Research Vessels participating in JARPA II 2005/2006 cruise

The research mother ship Nisshin Maru.
The sampling/sighting vessel Yushin Maru No. 2.

The sampling/sighting vessel Yushin Maru.

The sampling/sighting vessel Kyo Maru No. 1.

The dedicated sighting vessel Kyoshin Maru No. 2.

The dedicated sighting vessel Kaiko Maru will also participate in JARPA II.

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(Reference)

International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling – Article VIII(Extract)

1. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Convention, any Contracting Government may grant
to any of its nationals a special permit authorizing that national to kill, take, and treat whales forpurposes of scientific research subject to such restrictions as to number and subject to such otherconditions as the Contracting Government thinks fit, and the killing, taking and treating of whalesin accordance with the provisions of this Article shall be exempt from the operation of thisConvention.
2. Any whales taken under these special permits shall so far as practicable be processed and theproceeds shall be dealt with in accordance with the directions issued by the Government bywhich the permit was granted.

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