Further information on sampling design of JARPNIITAKEHARU BANDO1, HIDEYOSHI YOSHIDA2, TOSHIYA KISHIRO3, GENTA YASUNAGA1, TOSHIHIRO MOGOE1, KENJI
KONISHI1, TSUTOMU TAMURA1, YOSHIHIRO FUJISE1 AND HIDEHIRO KATO4

1

Institute of Cetacean Research, 4-5 Toyomi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0055, Japan
National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, 2-12-4
Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-8648, Japan
3
Headquarters of Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, 15F Queen's Tower B, 2-3-3 Minato Mirai,
Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 220-6115, Japan
4
Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0075, Japan
Contact e-mail: bando@cetacean.jp
2

ABSTRACTIn accordance with the recommendations on the sampling design of JARPNII presented by the members of the Expert Panel
Workshop for the final review of the JARPNII, further information on sampling design is presented in this paper. At the planningstage, tracklines for the offshore component were designed to cover a wide range of the survey area. However, when the actual
surveys were conducted, some tracklines were cancelled or new tracklines were designed in accordance with seasonal changes ofwhale distribution influenced by the oceanographic structure and severe weather conditions. The samples were collected fromwide longitudinal range of the research area during six (2002-2007 or 2008-2013) year’s survey periods. Therefore, samples
collected during JARPNII surveys would represent the distribution of each whale species in the research area in at least during therespective six years’ periods.
KEYWORDS: COMMON MINKE WHALE; BRYDE’S WHALE, SEI WHALE, NORTH PACIFIC; SCIENTIFIC PERMITINTRODUCTION
JARPNII consists of dedicated sighting, whale sampling and co-operative whale sampling and acoustic/trawl
prey surveys (Government of Japan, 2002). Dedicated sighting surveys were conducted independently from thewhale sampling survey and the co-operative survey was concurrently conducted in the same limited blocks tocollect data such as stomach contents of whales and biomass of their prey species in the field to estimate prey
preferences of whales (Government of Japan, 2002).
During the Expert Panel Workshop for the final review of the JARPNII held in Tokyo, February 2016, an
overview of research methodology was presented by the proponents for each survey component (Bando et al.,2016; Matsuoka et al., 2016; Kishiro et al., 2016) and some questions were presented from Panel members about
the sampling design of the whale sampling surveys (IWC, 2016). The proponents provided detailed information
about pre-determined track lines for whale sampling surveys, on effort track lines for whale sampling anddedicated sighting surveys, and co-operative survey of whale sampling and prey survey for each year and season
and these maps were incorporated in the report of the meeting (Annex E in IWC (2016)). However, further
recommendations were proposed by the Panel members as follows:(1) A new paper that in addition to the information on sightings, it should document, for each year and season:(a) the predetermined tracklines for sampling and the rationale for those lines; and(b) the actual coverage of those tracklines and the rationale for any decisions taken to deviate from thepredetermined lines including the rationale for any new lines developed.
It should also address the issue of whether the actual sampling that occurred can be said to be representativeof (a) the animals in the surveyed area and (b) those in the biological population(s) and discuss the extent towhich this may affect those objectives/parameters/analyses for which this is or may be important.
(2) Papers using data from the inshore component must fully address the implications of the logistical rather thanscientific sampling design.

1This paper provides further information on the sampling design of JARPNII sampling surveys for offshore andcoastal components.

SAMPLING DESIGN OF OFFSHORE COMPONENT
Principle of tracklines design
From the results of the dedicated sighting surveys under JARPNII, it was revealed that distribution of baleen
whales in the survey area is narrower in the north and south due to the influence of the distribution of preyspecies which was affected by the water temperature, and also, it was difficult to predict those distributions inadvance because it changes every year and season with the temporal changes in oceanographic structures(Appendix 1) (Murase et al., 2016a; 2016b)
At the planning stage, tracklines for the whale sampling surveys were designed to cover a wide range of thesurvey area. However, when the actual surveys were conducted, some tracklines were cancelled or new
tracklines were designed to cover the actual distribution of the whales predicted by the oceanographic structuresat that time.
Unfortunately, some parts of the survey area were often affected by the path of the typhoon and bad weather
conditions. Fog was often dominant in the northern cold waters. Therefore, tracklines were sometimes changed
to avoid these bad areas affected by such temporal weather conditions.
Furthermore, some ‘special monitoring surveys’ (SMS) were conducted in areas where the abundance of whales
targeted were expected to be high. The track line in the SMS was designed separately from the original track line
(Tamura et al., 2009).
Overview of each year’s tracklines design is summarised in Appendix 2.

Representativeness of the samples
The surveys were conducted to cover a wide longitudinal range of the research area during six (2002-2007 or
2008-2013) year’s survey periods (Figure 1). Therefore, the proponents consider that samples collected during
the JARPNII surveys represents distribution of each whale species in the research area in at least during therespective six year’s periods.
For the representativeness of the ‘biological population’, the research area of JARPNII does not cover the whole
distribution range of each whale species. For example, mature male of common minke whale is dominant in the
research area because many of the adult females migrate into the Okhotsk Sea in the summer feeding season(Hatanaka and Miyashita, 1997). Therefore, correction would be needed depending on the purpose of theanalysis.
Estimation of total amount of prey consumption, which is a main objective of JARPNII, was conducted in each
sub-area and season (early and late). Sexual maturity composition was estimated in each sub-area and season,and total amount of prey consumption was estimated by extrapolating these data to total number of whales
migrating to research area (Tamura et al., 2016a). Representativeness of samples among the whales migrating to
the research area would be secured by this analytical method.

2

2002-2007: May-June

2002-2007: July-September● Minke● Sei● Bryde’s

2008-2013: July-September

2008-2013: May-June

Figure 1. On effort track lines of dedicated sighting (single line) and whale sampling (parallel lines) surveys
during 2002-2007 (early (upper left), late (upper right) season) and 2008-2013 (early (lower left), late(lower right) season) JARPNII surveys with sighting positions of sampled common minke, sei and Bryde’s
whales.
SAMPLING DESIGN OF COASTAL COMPONENT
Small-type whaling catcher boats used as sampling vessels at the coastal component are not suitable for bad
weather conditions, as Kishiro et al. (2016) noted. They can not stay at sea for long hours, especially at night.
For the logistical and safety reasons, a land-based operation system was adopted for the coastal component,
where vessels departure the port every morning and return to the port every night. Their courses are set radiatingout from the port with even intervals (usually at intervals of 10-15 degree each). To scan the research area aswide as possible, the courses are shifted slightly every day (usually 4 degree interval). All animals encountered
were targeted for sampling, except for cow-calf pairs. From these, representativeness of animals migrating into
the research area would be secured at the survey: sampling design did not significantly affect data analysis.
We also recognize that sea bottom topography is not monotonous in the research area, especially off Kushiro.
There, three topography types are identified: i) continental shelf; ii) continental slope up to a depth of 1,000m;
and iii) offshore area with water depth of 1,000m or more. It is reported that composition of prey species differedsomewhat among the topography types (Tamura et al., 2016b). We will consider how to conduct more detailed
analyses considering the topography features.

REFERENCES
Bando, T., Yasunaga, G., Tamura, T., Matsuoka, K., Murase H., Kishiro T. and Miyashita, T. 2016. Methodology and survey procedures
under the JARPN II offshore component- during 2008 to 2014 with special emphasis on whale sampling procedures. Paper SC/F16/JR4
presented to The Expert Panel Workshop of the final review on the western North Pacific Japanese Special Permit programme (JARPN II),Tokyo, February 2016 (unpublished).14pp.

3

Government of Japan. 2002. Research plan for cetacean studies in the western North Pacific under special permit (JARPN II). Paper
SC/54/O2 presented to the IWC Scientific Committee, May 2002 (unpublished). 115pp.
Hatanaka, H. and Miyashita, T. 1997. On the feeding migration of the Okhotsk Sea-west pacific stock of minke whales, estimated based on
length composition data. Rep Int Whal Commn 47: 557-564.
International Whaling Commission. 2016. Report of the Expert Panel of the final review on the western North Pacific Japanese Special
Permit programme (JARPN II) SC/66b/Rep6, 96pp.
Ishii, M., Murase, H., Fukuda, Y., Sawada, K., Sasakura, T., Tamura, T., Bando, T., Matsuoka, K., Shinohara, A., Nakatsuka, S., Katsumata,N., Miyashita, K. and Mitani, T. 2016. A short note on feeding behaviour of sei whales observed in JARPNII. Paper SC/F16/JR25
presented to The Expert Panel Workshop of the final review on the western North Pacific Japanese Special Permit programme (JARPN II),Tokyo, February 2016 (unpublished). 9pp.
Kishiro, T., Yoshida, H., Yasunaga, G., Bando, T., Mogoe, T. and Kato, H. 2016. Methodology and survey procedure under the JARPN II –coastal component of Sanriku and Kushiro- during 2008 to 2014, with special emphasis on whale sampling procedures. Paper SC/F16/JR3
presented to The Expert Panel Workshop of the final review on the western North Pacific Japanese Special Permit programme (JARPN II),Tokyo, February 2016 (unpublished). 19pp.
Matsuoka, K., Hakamada, T. and Miyashita, T. 2016. Methodology and procedure of the dedicated sighting surveys in JARPN II (20082013) - Offshore component. Paper SC/F16/JR2 presented to The Expert Panel Workshop of the final review on the western North PacificJapanese Special Permit programme (JARPN II), Tokyo, February 2016 (unpublished). 12pp.
Murase, H., Hakamada, T., Sasaki, H., Matsuoka, K. and Kitakado, T. 2016a. Seasonal spatial distributions of common minke, sei and
Bryde’s whales in the JARPNII survey area from 2002 to 2013. Paper SC/F16/JR7 presented to The Expert Panel Workshop of the final
review on the western North Pacific Japanese Special Permit programme (JARPN II), Tokyo, February 2016 (unpublished). 17pp.
Murase, H., Hakamada, T., Matsuoka, K., Nishiwaki, S., Inagake, D., Okazaki, M., Toji, N. and Kitakado, T. 2016b. Distribution of sei
whales (Balaenoptera borealis) in the subarctic-sub-tropical transition area of the western North Pacific in relation to oceanic fronts. DeepSea Research II 107: 22-28, 2014. (SC/F16/JR8)
Tamura, T., Matsuoka, K. and Fujise, Y. 2009. Methodology and survey procedure under the JARPN II - offshore component- with special
emphasis on whale sampling procedures. Paper SC/J09/JR4 presented to The Expert Panel Workshop of the final review on the western
North Pacific Japanese Special Permit programme (JARPN II), Tokyo, January 2009 (unpublished). 16pp.
Tamura, T., Konishi, K. and Isoda, T. 2016a. Updated estimation of prey consumption by sei, Bryde’s and common minke whales in thewestern North Pacific. Paper SC/F16/JR15 presented to The Expert Panel Workshop of the final review on the western North PacificJapanese Special Permit programme (JARPN II), Tokyo, February 2016 (unpublished). 58pp.
Tamura, T., Kishiro, T., Yoshida, H., Konishi, K., Yasunaga, G., Bando, T., Saeki, M., Onodera, K., Mitsuhashi, M., Yamashita, Y.,
Funamoto, T. and Kato, H. 2016b. Updated prey consumption by common minke whales and interaction with fisheries in coastal areas.
Paper SC/F16/JR17 presented to The Expert Panel Workshop of the final review on the western North Pacific Japanese Special Permit
programme (JARPN II), Tokyo, February 2016 (unpublished). 47pp.

4

SC/66b/SP**APPENDIX 1
Monthly changes of the Density Index

Sei whale
May

June

July

AugustSeptember

Figure. 1. Monthly change of the Density Index (number of primary sightings of whales / 100 n.mile ) of sei
whales during JARPN and JARPNII from 1994 to 2014 surveys by Lat.1°× Long.1°square.

5

SC/66b/SP**APPENDIX 1
Monthly changes of the Density Index
Bryde’s whale
May

June

July

AugustSeptember

Figure. 2. Monthly change of the Density Index (number of primary sightings of whales / 100 n.mile ) of Bryde’s
whales during JARPN and JARPNII from 1994 to 2014 surveys by Lat.1°× Long.1°square.

6

SC/66b/SP**APPENDIX 1
Monthly changes of the Density Index

Common minke whale
May

June

July

AugustSeptember

Figure 3. Monthly change of the Density Index (number of primary sightings of whales / 100 n.mile ) of
common minke whales during JARPN and JARPNII from 1994 to 2014 surveys by Lat.1°×
Long.1°square.

7

Overview of the each year’s survey design under the JARPNII offshore components
Year

Summary of the tracklines design

2000

Feasibility study. Co-operative survey of whale survey and prey survey was conducted in sub-area 7
and the survey focused on stock structure of common minke whales was conducted mainly in subarea 9.
Feasibility study. Co-operative survey was conducted in sub-area 7 and the survey focused on stock
structure of common minke whales was conducted mainly in sub-areas 8 and 9.
Focused on two co-operative surveys of whale survey and prey survey (conducted in sub-areas 8
and 9 (first survey) and 7 (second survey).
Focused on two co-operative surveys (conducted in sub-areas 8 and 9 (first survey) and 7 (second
survey). In addition, tracklines were designed to cover wide latitudinal range in western part of subarea 9. Sei whale was added as target species (50 samples).
Focused on eastern part of sub-area 9 where information of whale distribution and composition was
not enough and tracklines were designed to cover wide latitudinal range in sub-area 9. Sample sizeof sei whale changed from 50 to 100. One co-operative survey was conducted (sub-area 9).
Tracklines were designed to cover whole research area (sub-areas 7, 8 and 9). Two co-operative
surveys were conducted in sub-area 7 (first survey) and 8 and 9 (second survey).
Tracklines were designed to cover whole research area (sub-areas 7, 8 and 9). No co-operative
survey was conducted in this year.
Tracklines were designed to cover whole research area (sub-areas 7, 8 and 9). Three co-operative
surveys were conducted in sub-areas 8 and 9 (first survey), 9 (second survey) and 7 and 8 (thirdsurvey).
Tracklines were designed to cover wide latitudinal range in sub-areas 8 and 9. Two co-operative
surveys (sub-areas 8 and 9 (first survey) and 7 (second survey)) were conducted. No tracklines were
designed in southern part of sub-area 9 because Bryde’s whales (distribute mainly in warmer
temperature) were sampled during two co-operative surveys.
Tracklines were designed from sub-area 7 to 9 in 38N to 41N (mainly targeting sei whales) andfrom sub-area 8 to 9 in 35N-38N (mainly targeting Bryde’s whales). Survey in northern part of subarea 9 could not be conducted because successive passage of low pressure and long lasted fog.
Sample size of common minke whales was 43. One co-operative survey (sub-areas 8 and 9) was
conducted.
At the planning stage, tracklines were designed to cover wide range of research area. However,
because of prevalence of rain front, long lasted for and passage of typhoon, only part ofpredetermined track lines were surveyed in northern part of sub-area 9 and sample size of common
minke whale was only 14. Tracklines were not designed in southern part of sub-areas 7 and 8
because sampling of Bryde’s whales was focused in sub-area 9. Two co-operative surveys (subareas 8 and 9 (first survey) 9 (second survey)) were conducted.
At the planning stage, tracklines were designed to cover wide longitudinal range of research area.
However, because of prevalence of rain front, long lasted for and passage of typhoon, only part ofpredetermined track lines were surveyed and sample size of common minke and sei whale were 49
and 95, respectively. Tracklines were not designed in southern part of sub-areas 8 and 9 because
sampling of Bryde’s whales was focused in sub-area 7. One co-operative survey (sub-areas 8 and 9)
was conducted.
At the planning stage, tracklines were designed to cover wide longitudinal range of 38N to 41N.
However, because of prevalence of rain front, long lasted for and passage of typhoon, only part ofpredetermined track lines were surveyed and sample size of common minke and Bryde’s whale
were 74 and 34, respectively. One co-operative survey (sub-areas 8 and 9) was conducted.
Only part of tracklines in 35N to 38N was surveyed because sampling of Bryde’s survey was
focused during co-operative survey.
At the planning stage, tracklines were designed to cover northern part of sub-area 9 because survey
period was later than previous surveys and water temperature in southern part of research area has
already raised not appropriate for the distribution of sei whales. However, northern part ofpredetermined tracklines could not be surveyed because of bad weather conditions. Sample size ofcommon minke and Bryde’s whales were three and 28, respectively. Only Special Monitoring
Surveys were conducted in southern part of research area because sampling of Bryde’s whales was
focused during co-operative survey (the main purpose of the co-operative survey in this year wasrecording of underwater behaviour of Bryde’s and sei whales by using acoustic transmitters (Ishii etal., 2016)).

2001
2002
2003

2004

2005
2006
2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

8

APPENDIX 2

Figure 1. Overview of the survey design under the JARPNII. Pre-determined track lines for whale sampling
surveys in the offshore component are shown in orange; on effort track lines of dedicated sighting (single line)
and whale sampling (parallel lines) surveys in green. Concurrent whale/prey surveys are shown by color
squares. Only the research areas are shown for Sanriku and Kushiro (extracted from Annex E of IWC (2016)).
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Figure 2. 2000 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October). The survey in 2000 was
conducted only in late season.

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Figure 3. 2001 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June).

Figure 4. 2001 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October).
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Figure 5. 2002 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June).

Figure 6. 2002 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October).
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Figure 7. 2003 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June).

Figure 8. 2003 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October).
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Figure 9. 2004 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June).

Figure 10. 2004 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October).
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Figure 11. 2005 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June).

Figure 12. 2005 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October)14

Figure 13. 2006 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June).

Figure 14. 2006 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October)15

Figure 15. 2007 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June)

Figure 16. 2007 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October)16

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Figure 17. 2008 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June)

Figure 18. 2008 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October)17

Figure 19. 2009 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June)

Figure 20. 2009 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October)18

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Figure 21. 2010 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June)

Figure 22. 2010 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October)19

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Figure 23. 2011 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June)

Figure 24. 2011 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October)20

160°0'0"E

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Figure 25. 2012 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June).

Figure 26. 2012 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October).
21

160°0'0"E

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Figure 27. 2013 JARPNII in early season (April, May and June).

Figure 28. 2013 JARPNII in late season (July, August, September and October).
22