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 RELEASEOctober 14, 2011

Completion of the 2011 IWC/Japan Joint Cetacean Sighting Survey
Cruise in the North Pacific - IWC-POWER

1. BACKGROUND
The IWC*/Japan Joint Cetacean Sighting Survey Cruise in the North Pacific is a joint
IWC/Japan collaborative program started in 2010 as a successor of theIWC/IDCR**-SOWER*** cruises carried out since the 1978/79 season in the AntarcticOcean.
The IWC-SOWER (1996/97-2009/10) and its forerunner, the IWC/IDCR(1978/79-1995/96) programs, were conducted for 32 years long and made a huge
contribution to estimating abundance of whale stocks distributing in the Antarctic, suchas Antarctic minke whales, and elucidating the trends of whale stock abundance. Bothare recognized as the most successful international collaborative research effort
conducted under the auspice of the IWC. Japan has made a substantive contribution toconducting and operating these international whale research programs by providing
research vessels and crew members from the beginning to the end.
This survey was the second research cruise in the North Pacific, following the firstresearch cruise carried out last year. The research plan of this program reflects the major
research agenda of the IWC Scientific Committee. During the 2010 cruise a number of
fin whales and sei whales were sighted in the research area where a large scale sighting*International Whaling Commission
International Decade of Cetacean Research**

1

survey had not been conducted for more than a half century.
The IWC Scientific Committee, at its annual meeting recently held in Tromsø, Norway,
decided to name this research program as the IWC-POWER (Pacific Ocean Whale andEcosystem Research).
2. OUTLINE OF THE 2011 RESEARCH CRUISE
The IWC-POWER program is conducted collaboratively by the IWC and theGovernment of Japan. The IWC Scientific Committee has developed the research
program and an actual survey cruise plan was jointly planned by associatedinstitutions such as the National Research Institute of Far Sea Fisheries, Fisheries
Research Agency of Japan, and Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA/NMFS, U.S.A.
under guidance of the IWC-POWER Steering Group (Convener, Dr. Hidehiro Kato,
Professor of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Japan) which wasestablished under auspice of the IWC Scientific Committee.
The Institute of Cetacean Research, under the commission of the Fisheries Agency ofJapan, has completed the survey cruise. Followings are summary of research cruise
plan and its results.
2.1

2.2
2.3

2.4

2.5
***

Objectives(1) estimation of sei whale abundance (and other species where possible,especially fin whales);(2) collection of information on stock structure, particularly biopsy samples, withpriority given to sei, fin and sperm whales; and(3) collection of photo-identification data and biopsy samples for rare species
encountered, especially North Pacific right whales and blue whales.
Research Cruise Period
From July 11, 2011 to September 8, 2011 (sixty days).
Research Area (Fig. 1)
The research area is north of 40°N, south of the Aleutian Islands, and between
170°W and 150°W (eastwards), including the high seas and the EEZ of the UnitedStates of America.
International Researchers
Koji Matsuoka (Cruise leader, Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), Japan)
Sally Mizroch (Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA/NMFS, USA)
Research Vessel
Southern Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research2

Yushin-maru No.3 (742 ton)
2.6 Total Distance Covered
3,097.8 nautical miles (about 5,740km)
2.7 Whale sightings
Blue whale: 10 schools; 10 animals
Fin whale: 82 schools; 141 animals
Sei whale: 58 schools; 95 animals
Humpback whale: 76 schools; 133 animals
Sperm whale: 95 schools; 119 animals
2.8 Results of sample collections etc.
(1) Collection of biopsy samples
Blue whale: 4 animals
Fin whale: 12 animals
Sei whale: 31 animals
Humpback whale:1 animals.
These samples will be used for examination of stock structure of each species.
(2) Photo identification data
Blue whale: 9 animals
Fin whale: 25 animals
Sei whale: 27 animals
Humpback whale: 45 animals
These photographs are valuable information to study life history and migration
patters of each species.
(3) Record of marine debris
Many marine debris were found near the Japanese coastal water which are likely
to be the results of the tsunami caused by the Tohoku Region Pacific Coast
Earthquake: Total of 132 cases (71 cases of fishing buoys; 23 cases of timbers;
and refrigerators, tires, overturned small boats, etc.)

3Fig.1 The research area for 2011.
Photos from the 2011 cruise

Photo 1. Biopsy sampling

Photo 2. fin whale, a biopsy dart
just hit it.

Photo 3. Mother and calf pair ofsei whale.

4