Protocol to facilitate research collaboration and data access
related to NEWREP-A
INTRODUCTION
The Government of Japan decided to develop the New Scientific Whale Research Program in theAntarctic Ocean (NEWREP-A) following guidelines offered in the ICJ Judgment for granting special
permit whaling under Article VIII, paragraph 1. The research plan for NEWREP-A was submitted to theIWC in November 2014, and reviewed by a panel of international experts in February 2015 (NEWREP-A
review workshop), and by the whole IWC SC in May 2015.
The two main objectives of NEWREP-A are the following:I.
II.

Improvement in the precision of biological and ecological information for the application of
the Revised Management Procedure (RMP) to the Antarctic minke whales; andInvestigation of the structure and dynamics of the Antarctic marine ecosystem throughbuilding ecosystem models

The main objective I is composed of the following objectives:
I (i): Abundance estimates for Antarctic minke whales taking into account of g(0) and additionalvariance.
I (ii): Improvement of precision of biological and ecological parameters.
I (iii): Refinement of stock structure hypotheses of Antarctic minke whales in Areas III-VI for theimplementation of the RMP.
I (iv): Specification of RMP Implementation Simulation Trials (ISTs) for the Antarctic minkewhales.
The main objective II is composed of the following objectives:
II (i): Ecological research (krill abundance estimation and oceanographic observation)
II (ii): Abundance estimates of some cetacean species as input data for ecosystem modelling.
II (iii): Estimation of prey consumption by the Antarctic minke whale and its nutritional condition.
II (iv): Ecosystem modelling (spatial interaction among baleen whales and consideration of predatorsprey system and allometric reasoning).
See details of the NEWREP-A research plan in (http://www.icrwhale.org/pdf/151127newrep-a.pdf).
The first multidiscipline NEWREP-A survey was carried out during the 2015/16 austral summer season apart of east of Areas IV (115°-130°E) and V (130°E-170°W) in Antarctic. Several kinds of data andsamples were obtained by the different survey components: biological survey of Antarctic minke whale(Balaenoptera bonaerensis); dedicated sighting survey; and krill and oceanographic surveys.
A list of data and samples collected during the NEWREP-A 2015/16 is shown in Appendix 1.
Data and samples collected during the NEWREP-A surveys are available to the national (Japan) andinternational scientific community through the simple protocol indicated below. Topics can be related tothe main research objectives of NEWREP-A as well related to other specific objectives.
Similar samples and data collected for more than 25 years during the JARPA and JARPAII are alsoavailable for the scientific community. Details of the data and samples collected by JARPA and JARPAII
are available in the following link (JARPA http://www.icrwhale.org/pdf/JARPAdata.pdf; JARPAII
http://www.icrwhale.org/pdf/JARPAIIdata.pdf).

PROTOCOL
Scientists interested in the data and samples collected by NEWREP-A and/or JARPA/JARPAII programs
should follow the following steps:
1.

Explain the research objectives and data required using the research proposal format inAppendix 2

2.

Send your research proposal by e-mail to the relevant ICR scientist that is closer to your area ofexpertise:

Sighting, environmental, whale photo-id data:
Dr. Koji Matsuoka (matsuoka@cetacean.jp)
Biological data from Antarctic minke whale:
Mr. Takeharu Bando (bando@cetacean.jp)
Feeding ecology and energetic data from Antarctic minke whale:
Dr. Tsutomu Tamura (tamura@cetacean.jp)
Pollutants data from whale and environment:
Dr. Genta Yasunaga (yasunaga@cetacean.jp)
Genetic data:
Dr. Mutsuo Goto (goto@cetacean.jp)
Other data:
Dr. Tsutomu Tamura (tamura@cetacean.jp)
3.

Responses will be sent to you within a 2-week period

Note that CITES export/import permits are required when whale samples are to be transported betweencountries.

Appendix 1
List of data collected by the NEWREP-A 2015/16.
Items
Data
Whale abundance
estimate*
Weather data***
115 days
Effort data***
115 days
Sighting record of whales***
1,472 schools
Angle and distance experiments***
320 times
Ice edge line ***115°E–170°W
Environmental data
Temperature and salinity profile (CTD)**37 stations
Echo sound (krill distribution/abundance)**31 daysMarine debris (sea surface)
0 observation
Antarctic minke
whale*Catching date and location***333 individuals
Photographic record of external character
333 individuals
Record of internal and external parasites
333 individuals
Sex and body length***
333 individuals
Body proportion for stock structure*
333 individuals
Skull measurements (length and breadth) for stock
310 individuals
structure*
Satellite tracking for stock structure and feeding ecology* 3 individuals
Body weight for feeding ecology**
333 individuals
Organ weight including fat weight for feeding ecology**
5 individuals
Diatom film record for feeding ecology**
333 individuals
Blubber thickness for feeding ecology**
333 individuals
Stomach content: freshness and weight for feeding
333 individuals
ecology**
Diving behaviour for feeding ecology**‒Testis weight for reproductive study***
103 individuals
Mammary gland: lactation status and measurement for
230 individuals
reproductive study
Foetal number, sex, length and weight for reproductive study158 individuals
Marine debris (stomach)
0 individuals
Gross pathological observation and sampling
333 individuals
Other large whales Photo-ID
82 individuals* Data or samples to be used for Main Objective I; ** data or samples to be used for Main Objective II(Other items will be used for other research purposes); *** data or samples to be used for Main
Objectives I and II.
List of sample collected by the NEWREP-A 2015/16.
Items
SampleAntarctic minke
whale*
Prey species in stomach for feeding ecology**
47 individuals
Faeces and contents from the large intestine for feeding
0 individuals
ecology**
Testis for reproductive study***
103 individuals
Ovary for corpora counting and reproductive study***
230 individuals
Mammary grand and endometrium for reproductive study 230 individuals

Earplug for age determination***333 individuals
Ocular lens for age determination***333 individuals
Baleen plates for age determination and stable isotope
26 individuals
study***
Tissue samples for genetic study***
333 individuals
Tissue and organ samples for chemical study***
333 individuals
Tissue and plasma samples for physiological study***
333 individuals
Vertebral epiphyses for physical maturity
307 individuals
Skin sample (biopsy)
10 individuals
Other large whales Skin sample (biopsy)
40 individuals* Data or samples to be used for Main Objective I; ** data or samples to be used for Main Objective II(Other items will be used for other research purposes); *** data or samples to be used for Main Objective
I and II.
Number of total sighted whales in the NEWREP-A 2015/16 (school / individual).
Species
Transit to RA
Research area
Transit from RA Sub total
Total
Primary Secondar Primary Secondar Primary Secondar Primary Secondar
yyyy
Sch. Ind. Sch. Ind. Sch. Ind. Sch. Ind. Sch. Ind. Sch. Ind. Sch. Ind. Sch. Ind. Sch. Ind.
Blue whale0000
14 25 69002214 25 811 22 36Fin whale
220014 37 10 25 000016 39 10 25 26 64
Sei whale
120000004400560056Antarctic minke whale1
100476 1,33 80 219 0034477 1,34 83 223 560 1,56903Like Antarctic minke 000077000000770077whale
Humpback whale
0000525 1,12 136 302 00722 525 1,12 143 324 668 1,45882
Southern right whale 000011000011111122
Baleen whale0022
18 24 22000018 24 4422 28
Sperm whale
440019 19 22002223 23 4427 27Southern bottlenose 000024000000240024whale
Arnoux's beaked
0000220 1
70000220 17327whale
Unid. beaked whale 121315 17 22450020 24 3523 29
Killer whale
000026 241 3
18 000026 241 3
18 29 259
Number of photo-identified whales and number of biopsies in the NEWREP-A 2015/16.
SpeciesNo. of individuals photographed
No. of biopsy
individuals collectedBlue whale
248Fin whale07
Humpback whale
3615
Southern right whale
11
Killer whale
219Total
8240

Appendix 2
RESEARCH PROPOSAL TO THE INSTITUTE OF CETACEAN RESEARCH
Title of theresearch
Principal
Investigator
Institution andAddress ofPrincipal
Investigator
Co-Investigators
Institutions andAddresses of
Co-Investigators
Objective of theresearch andrationale
Data requested
Methods
Research planand schedule
Output of theresearch (oralpresentations,publications)
Other remarks