The IWC Commissioners Briefing is produced by a coalition of conservation organisations based on reports received from around the world.
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The five vessels comprising Japan's scientific whaling fleet, which were forced to return to Japan late last year before having reached the Antarctic in order for the fire-damaged factory ship to be repaired, departed a second time for the whaling grounds in late December and early January for a shortened 12th season of scientific whaling. According to Japan's IWC Commissioner, the whaling finished on March 31 with a total catch of 389 minke whales out of Japan's self-assigned quota of 440. It had been expected that with the delay the catch would fall short of Japan's target. Also at his press conference of January 27, the Director of the ICR reported that the Institute plans to draw up a new scientific whaling plan for the Northwest Pacific, with a view to comprehensive management of all the fisheries resources in the area including cetaceans. This is in line with what was reported in the preliminary report of the 1998 research programme, published last July in a Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food publication.