JAPAN RESPONDS TO CRITICISMOF ITS WHALE RESEARCH PROGRAM
Thursday, August 3, 2000.
The Government of Japan's Fisheries Agency today responded to criticism of its whaleresearch program. Masayuki Komatsu, Counselor for Fisheries Policy of the Fisheries
Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said: "It is unfortunate that thepoliticians in the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand have criticizedJapan's whale research program. In doing so they have chosen to ignore science andinternational law as a result of pressure from certain radical, non-governmental
environmental organizations".
Mr. Komatsu noted that Japan's whale research program is perfectly legal under Article
VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling and that the program
had been subject to extensive review by the IWC's Scientific Committee. Mr. Komatsu
said "The Scientific Committee has praised Japan's past research programs and we arealways open to constructive suggestions to improve the research."
Komatsu also expressed his view that "Threats of sanctions against a perfectly legal
and scientifically sound program are a provocative and inappropriate attempt to impose
their values on others by force. It is comparable to a situation where India demands theUSA to stop eating beef by suggesting economic sanctions."
He also pointed out that the Convention requires that the by-products be processed.
"The fact that whale meat ends up on the market is a requirement of the Convention toensure that resources are not wasted. It is not a "loophole" or "illegal" or "commercial
whaling in disguise" as the anti-whaling rhetoric suggests."
Komatsu emphasized that "since the Convention requires that its regulations be basedon scientific findings, rather than condemning the research, all members of the IWC
should be conducting similar research." "Criticism of the research in which more than
100 samples and measurements are taken from each whale is a rejection of the basic
principle that resources should be managed on a scientific basis", said added.
Japan's whale research fleet left port on Saturday in order to begin a new research
program which will focus on feeding studies of whales and ecosystem modeling. It isbecoming clear that whales are eating 3 to 5 times of marine living resources thanfisheries catch by humans.
Japan has conducted a whale research program in the western North Pacific from 1994
to 1999 under Special Permit as provided for under Article VIII of the Convention. The
program had two main objectives: the study of population structure of minke whales andthe study of feeding ecology of minke whales. The program was reviewed by the IWC's
Scientific Committee each year and at a meeting held in February 2000.
Since some scientific issues remain outstanding from the 1994-1999 program, theprogram is being compiled in accordance with the recommendations of the scientificcommittee of the IWC. Minke, Bryde's and sperm whales will be included as part of theresearch. The priority for the research will be feeding studies related to prey
consumption by cetaceans, prey preferences of cetaceans and ecosystem modeling.
The program involves both lethal and non-lethal research techniques such as sighting
surveys and biopsy sampling.

Other research objectives include the study of stock structure of minke, Bryde's andsperm whales as well as the study of environmental effects such as chemical pollution
on cetaceans and the marine ecosystem.
Mr. Komatsu explained that minke, Bryde's and sperm whales were selected for thisresearch since they are likely major components of the large whale biomass in theregion and because their populations are abundant. "Contrary to the myths promoted bysome conservation and environmental groups, not all whales are endangered in factmany are abundant", said Komatsu.
The research program is planned as a feasibility study for the years 2000 and 2001. A
maximum of 100 minke whales, 50 Bryde's whales and 10 sperm whales was to besampled in each of these two years however, the research catch for this year has been
reduced because of the late start of the program. Mr. Komatsu noted that the researchwould provide valuable data and information to the Scientific Committee and that "It is
certain that this small take from abundant stocks will not have a negative impact".
Mr. Komatsu explained that many international fisheries organizations have urged thedevelopment of multi-species management systems. This means that predator-prey
relationships among the major components of an ecosystem must be understood. Prey
consumption by cetaceans is therefore the main part of the proposed research. Prey
consumption and prey preference data will be used as input for ecosystem models.
FOR FURTHER INQUIRY PLEASE CONTACT: Joji Morishita, Deputy Director, FarSeas Fisheries Division, Fisheries Agency Tel: 03-3502-8111 (ext: 7242) Direct Tel: 033502-2443