Resolution 2000-4

WC Resolution 2000-4
Resolution on whaling under Special Permit in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary
NOTING that since the 51st meeting in May 1999, the Government of Japan has issued special permits, under the
provisions of Article VIII of the Convention, for lethal scientific research on minke whales in the Southern
Ocean Sanctuary.
NOTING also that the Scientific Committee this year considered all estimates of Southern Hemisphere minke
whale population sizes which have been made available since 1990, and concluded that these estimates were
“appreciably lower” than the estimate of 760,000 accepted by the Scientific Committee in 1990.
NOTING further that the Scientific Committee this year recommends that “minke whale” should be listed as two
species in Section 1 of the Schedule to the Convention.
RECOGNISING that the Commission has agreed on the urgent need for the Scientific Committee to proceed
with the planned review of the estimates of population sizes of minke whales, including development of agreed
estimates, prior to seeking advice from the Commission on how to assess the impacts of JARPA on these stocks
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION REQUESTS that the Government of Japan refrains from issuing any
Special Permits for the 2000/2001 season for the take of minke whales in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary.