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
September 10, 2012

Completion of the 2012 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 third research cruise in the North Pacific, following the last twoyears. The research plan of this program reflects the major research agenda of the IWC
Scientific Committee. During the first two cruises, a number of fin whales and sei
whales were sighted in the research area where a large scale sighting survey had not*

International Whaling Commission
International Decade of Cetacean Research**1been conducted for more than a half century.
The IWC Scientific Committee, at its annual meeting held in Tromsø, Norway in 2011,decided to name this research program as the IWC-POWER (Pacific Ocean Whale andEcosystem Research).
2. OUTLINE OF THE 2012 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 of Japan, has completed thesurvey cruise. Followings are summary of research cruise plan and its results.
2.1

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.
2.2 Research Cruise Period
From July 13, 2012 to September 10, 2012 (60 days).
2.3 Research Area (Fig. 1)
The research area is north of 40°N, south of Alaska, U.S.A., and between 150°W
and 135°W, including the high seas and the EEZ of the U.S.A. and Canada.
2.4 International Researchers
Koji Matsuoka (Cruise leader, Institute of Cetacean Research, Japan)
Sally Mizroch (Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA/NMFS, USA)
Yong-Rock An (Cetacean Research Institute , NFRDI, Republic of Korea,)
Saeko Kumagai (IWC nominated researcher, Japan)***

Southern Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research22.5Research Vessel
Yushin-maru No.3 (742 ton, Captain Kiyoji Hirose)
2.6 Total Distance Covered
2,677 nautical miles (about 4,957km)
2.7 Main whale sightings
Blue whale: 4 schools; 4 animals
Fin whale: 149 schools; 210 animals
Sei whale: 87 schools;164 animals
Common minke whale: 2 schools; 2 animals
North Pacific right whale: 1 school; 1 animal
Humpback whale: 21 schools; 33 animals
Sperm whale: 50 schools; 57 animals
Killer whale: 17 schools; 99 animals
2.8 Results of sample collections etc.
(1) Photo identification data
Blue whale: 4 animals
Fin whale: 60 animals
Sei whale: 51 animals
North Pacific right whale: 1 animal
Humpback whale: 26 animals
Sperm whale: 1 animal
Killer whale: 47 animals
These photographs are valuable information to study life history and migration
patterns of each species.
(2) Collection of biopsy samples
Blue whale: 2 animals
Fin whale: 12 animals
Sei whale: 37 animals
Killer whale:1 animal.
These samples will be used for examination of stock structure of each species.
(3) Record of marine debris
Marine debris were found during the cruise: Total of 228 cases (108 cases offishing buoys (and gyres); 24 cases of wooden logs; and other)3

Fig.1 Research area for the 2012 IWC-POWER survey.

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