Resolution 1999-11

Decisions Document Number
1998-11
Long Title
Resolution On Iwc Concern About Human Health Effects From The Consumption Of Cetaceans
Body

WITH DUE REGARD to ICRW Schedule Article V.2 (d) stating that the Commission “shall take into
consideration the interests of the consumers of whale products”;

AWARE of scientific evidence indicating that some Arctic communities are currently faced with the threat of
organic contaminants and heavy metals from the consumption of certain cetacean products;

NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
INVITES member and non-member governments directly affected
- to submit, when possible, reliable information to the IWC relating to possible human health effects resulting
from the consumption of cetacean products;

- to encourage the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other appropriate agencies to put this issue on their
own agenda;

REQUESTS further collaboration between the WHO and the IWC on this matter.

Status
Adopted
Treaty
ICRW

Resolution 1999-10

Decisions Document Number
1998-10
Long Title
Resolution to consider establishment of a mechanism to improve communications between the Commission and its Scientific Committee
Body

WHEREAS Article IV of the ICRW provides that the Commission may (a) encourage, recommend, or if
necessary, organise studies and investigations relating to whales and whaling; (b) collect and analyse statistical
information concerning the current conditions and trend of the whale stocks and the effects of whaling
activities thereon; (c) study, appraise, and disseminate information concerning methods of maintaining and
increasing the populations of whale stocks,

WHEREAS the work of the Scientific Committee is vital to the functioning of the Commission in the
execution of its mandate,

WHEREAS the Scientific Committee shall, in accordance with the Commission’s Rules of Procedure, inter
alia, consider such additional matters as may be referred to it by the Commission or the Chairman of the
Commission,

WHEREAS there have been instances where incomplete communications between the Commission and its
Scientific Committee have caused delays in the work of the Scientific Committee and subsequently that of the
Commission,

BELIEVING that increased and more effective communications between the Scientific Committee and the
Commission will assist in the expeditious completion and implementation of the RMS and the AWMP,

COMMENDING the high quality of the work of the Scientific Committee on these issues,
NOTING the value of informal discussions between Commissioners and the Chairman of the sub-committee
on management procedures during the development of the RMP; and similar discussions between interested
Commissioners and the Chairman of the Standing Working Group on the Development of the AWMP at this
meeting,

NOW THEREFORE the Commission requests the Advisory Committee in close consultation with the
Scientific Committee to:

(i) recommend a process to improve communications between itself and the Commission, and
(ii) report to the Commission, through its Finance and Administration Committee at its next annual meeting.

Status
Adopted
Treaty
ICRW

Resolution 1998-9

Decisions Document Number
1998-9
Long Title
Resolution on Directed Takes of White Whales
Body

WHEREAS IWC Resolution 1992-3 expressed the Commission’s concern that directed takes of white whales
might not be sustainable, and invited all states having white whales in their waters to conduct further research
on beluga;
WHEREAS at the sixth meeting of the Canada/Greenland Joint Commission on Conservation and
Management of Narwhal and Beluga, its Scientific Working Group noted that in view of the uncertainty about
the structure and abundance of the West Greenland population of white whales, there are doubts about the
sustainability of the current harvest;
CONCERNED in the light of this to encourage a precautionary approach to the exploitation of this Beluga
population;
Now THEREFORE the Commission:
INVITES the Greenland Home Rule Authority to

take urgent steps to ensure that the catch of white whales in waters under its jurisdiction does not exceed a
sustainable level;
WELCOMES the proposed review of the status of all white whales and narwhals by the Scientific Committee
at the 51st Annual meeting ;
ENCOURAGES all states having white whales in their waters:

to ensure that catch levels are properly monitored;
to provide relevant scientific data; and
to send experts to the Scientific Committee at the 51st meeting of the IWC to assist its discussions of stock
structure and abundance estimates of white whale populations;

REQUESTS that the Secretariat transmit the text of this Resolution to the Government of Canada.

Status
Adopted
Treaty
ICRW

Resolution 1998-8

Decisions Document Number
1998-8
Long Title
Resolution on Cooperation between the IWC and CITES
Body

WHEREAS it is the purpose of the International Whaling Commission to provide for the effective
conservation and management of whale stocks;

WHEREAS the IWC is the universally recognised competent international organisation for the management of
whales and whaling;

RECALLING that the IWC has passed resolutions welcoming the continuing cooperation between CITES and
the IWC on the issues related to trade in whale meat, and urging all governments to continue to support IWC
and CITES obligations with respect to this issue;

WHEREAS the Conference of the Parties to CITES recognised in Res. Conf. 2.9 the mandate of the IWC, and
requested that the CITES secretariat consult with the IWC concerning proposals to amend the CITES
appendices;

ACKNOWLEDGING that all species of whales in the Schedule to the IWC have been listed in Appendix I by
CITES (with the exception of the West Greenland stock of minke whales which is listed in Appendix II by
CITES) pursuant to and in recognition of the establishment of zero quotas for commercial whaling agreed by
the Contracting Governments to the IWC, and other decisions of the IWC relating to the status of great whale
species;

WHEREAS CITES has recommended that Parties not issue any import or export permits for trade in any
whale stocks for which the IWC has set zero catch limits;

WELCOMING the recent decision by the 10th Conference of the CITES parties to uphold Res. Conf. 2.9
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
EXPRESSES its appreciation to the Conference of the Parties to CITES for its reaffirmation of the relationship
between CITES and the IWC;

RECOGNISES the important role of CITES in supporting the conservation of whale stocks and the IWC’s
management decisions, and reaffirming the importance of continued cooperation between CITES and IWC;

REAFFIRMS the need for Contracting Governments to observe fully IWC resolutions (IWC Resolution 1994-
7; IWC Resolution 1995-6; IWC Resolution 1996-3; IWC Resolution 1997-2) addressing trade questions, in
particular with regard to the problem of illegal trade in whale products;

URGES all governments to provide the information specified in previous resolutions to the Commission;
DIRECTS the IWC Secretariat to forward this resolution, and this year’s reports of the Infractions Sub-
committee and the Scientific Committee to the CITES Secretariat.

Status
Adopted
Treaty
ICRW

Resolution 1998-7

Decisions Document Number
1998-7
Long Title
Resolution on Coordinating and Planning for Environmental Research in the Antarctic
Body

WHEREAS the International Whaling Commission at is 44th Meeting adopted Resolution (IWC/44/12) that
decided the Scientific Committee should give priority to research effort on the effects of environmental change
on cetaceans:

WHEREAS the International Whaling Commission at its 48th Meeting adopted Resolution (IWC Resolution
1996-8 ) endorsing the formation of a Standing Working Group on Environmental Concerns by the Scientific
Committee, and requested the Scientific Committee to increase collaboration and cooperation with
governmental, regional and other international organisations working on environmental issues;

AWARE that at the 50th Meeting of the Scientific Committee the SWGEC set up a working group to facilitate
collaboration between the IWC and CCAMLR, GLOBEC and other research programmes investigating aspects
that relate cetaceans to their habitat and to environmental change in the Antarctic;

NOTING there exists a number of other programmes, including the Japanese Whale Research Programme
under a Special Permit in the Antarctic (JARPA) , which has as one of its objectives research investigating
aspects that relate cetaceans to their habitat and to environmental change in the Antarctic;

RECOGNISING that the JARPA programme is an annual, multi-ship survey effort that constitutes a major
resource for investigating the Antarctic ecosystem;

RECALLING that the IWC has adopted resolutions (IWC 1995-8 and 1995-9) expressing concern over lethal
research under Special Permit and lethal research in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary;

RECOGNISING that the JARPA Programme is conducted in the course of the exercise of the rights of the
Government of Japan under the terms of the 1946 International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling;

AWARE that many parts of JARPA involve the use of non-lethal means to elucidate the effects of
environmental change on cetaceans;

COGNISANT that JARPA has been reviewed by the Scientific Committee, and several improvements have
been made as a result of this interaction with the Committee;

ACKNOWLEDGING the high priority the IWC has given studies of climate change and the Antarctic
ecosystem and the need for planning and coordination among the various research efforts so as to optimise
environmental research in the Antarctic;

NOW THEREFORE: the International Whaling Commission, at its 50th Annual Meeting,
INVITES the Government of Japan to take full advantage of the existing mechanisms of cooperation between
national research programmes and the Standing Working Group on Environmental Concerns, including the
presentation of results from national research programmes to the Scientific Committee and full involvement in
the planning of any IWC research initiatives on environmental matters.

Status
Adopted
Treaty
ICRW

Resolution 1998-6

Decisions Document Number
1998-6
Long Title
Resolution for the Funding of Work on Environmental Concerns
Body

RECALLING the directives by the Commission to the Scientific Committee and the Standing Working Group
on Environmental Concerns (SWGEC) to consider and act on all priority areas for assessing the impact of
environmental change on cetaceans;

RECALLING that at the 49TH Annual Meeting the Commission adopted a resolution urging the Scientific
Committee to produce detailed scientific proposals for future work on environmental concerns on a multi-
annual basis;

NOTING that at its 50th meeting the Scientific Committee reiterated its support for the two major
environmental research programmes initiated within the SWGEC, which were originally proposed at the 49th
meeting of the IWC Scientific Committee and subsequently endorsed by the Commission:

i. a collaborative, multidisciplinary, multinational programme in Southern Ocean with CCAMLR and
Southern Ocean GLOBEC; and

ii. a multidisciplinary programme of work to investigate the adverse effects of pollutants on cetaceans.
NOTING FURTHER that at this 50th meeting of the International Whaling Commission, the Scientific
Committee agreed to an intersessional work plan that includes the following additional initiatives:

I. the development of a proposal for a workshop on habitat degradation; and
II. the identification of issues and activities related to assessing the environmental effects on Arctic cetaceans
(IWC/50/4, 12.6)

NOTING FURTHER that the Scientific Committee has identified eight priority topics that it hopes to address:
climate/environmental change; chemical pollution; physical and biological habitat degradation; effects of
fisheries; ozone depletion, and UV-B radiation; Arctic issues; disease and mortality events; and the impact of
noise.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission:
AGREES to fund activities to be conducted in association with these programmes of research by drawing if
necessary from the Commission’s reserves;

INSTRUCTS the Secretariat in drawing up the provisional budget for 1999/2000 to make provisions for
expenditure of £100,000 from the Commission’s reserves to fund selected proposals recommended from the
Scientific Committee under these programmes, as well as to support Invited Participants with relevant
expertise as necessary;

AGREES to consider at its 51st Annual Meeting, the establishment of a dedicated Environment Research Fund
to facilitate research on environmental change and cetaceans; and the attendance at the Scientific Committee
and other related meetings of Invited Participants with relevant expertise in the priority areas of the Standing
Working Group on Environmental Concerns.

Status
Adopted
Treaty
ICRW

Resolution 1998-5

Decisions Document Number
1998-5
Long Title
Resolution on Environmental Changes and Cetaceans
Body

NOTING that the United Nations has declared 1998 as the International Year of the Ocean, in recognition of
the increasing concern over the state of the marine environment, and that the 50th Annual Meeting of the
International Whaling Commission offers an opportunity to reflect upon the future of the Commission;

RECALLING that at the 38th Meeting the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission, in
determining the scientific work needed for a comprehensive assessment, identified the importance of
examining the general features of whale dynamics, including the impacts on cetaceans of environmental
changes and influence of human factors, other than direct exploitation;

RECALLING that at its 44th Annual Meeting the Commission adopted a resolution establishing a regular
agenda item in the Scientific Committee to address the impact of environmental changes on cetacean stocks;

FURTHER RECALLING that at its 46th Annual Meeting the Commission adopted a resolution endorsing the
plans of the Scientific Committee to pursue studies of environmental changes and their impacts on cetaceans

and identifying priority areas that needed to be addressed in this context;
NOTING that the IWC has sponsored two special scientific workshops, one on the effects of chemical
pollution on cetaceans and the second on the effects of climate change on cetaceans;

AWARE that the Workshop on Chemical Pollution and Cetaceans concluded 1) that there are sufficient data
on the adverse effects of pollutants on the health of other marine mammals and terrestrial species to warrant
concern for cetaceans; and 2) that indicator species identified were bottlenose dolphins, harbor porpoises and
belugas (SC/47/Rep2);

AWARE also that the Workshop on Climate Change and Cetaceans concluded that the available evidence on
the effects of such change is sufficient to warrant general concerns for cetaceans (SC/48/Rep2);

RECALLING that at its 48th Annual Meeting the Commission adopted a resolution endorsing the
establishment by the Scientific Committee of its Standing Working Group on Environmental Concerns
(SWGEC) and directed it to consider and act on the specific recommendations of the two IWC special
workshops and on other priority areas for assessing the impact of environmental changes on cetaceans;

NOTING that the SWGEC in its first report identified topics of particular importance to its work, including
climate/environmental change, ozone depletion and UV-B radiation, chemical pollution, physical and
biological habitat degradation, impact of noise, effects of fisheries, Arctic issues, and disease and mortality
events; and

RECALLING that at the 49th Annual Meeting the Commission adopted a resolution urging the Scientific
Committee to produce detailed scientific proposals for future work on environmental concerns on a multi-
annual basis.

NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
COMMENDS the Scientific Committee for its two ongoing initiatives on 1) the significance of pollutants and
chemical contaminants on cetaceans and 2) baleen whale habitat and prey studies related to climate change and
identification of 1) physical and biological habitat degradation and 2) Arctic issues as next priorities (IWC/50/4
Sec. 12.5);

DIRECTS the Scientific Committee to give high priority to implementing the research initiatives of the
SWGEC and to continue to produce costed scientific proposals for non-lethal research to identify and evaluate
the impacts of environmental changes on cetaceans in all priority areas;
DIRECTS that the Chairman of the Scientific Committee, in consultation with the Chair of the SWGEC, invite
participants with necessary expertise in the identified priority areas of the field of environmental changes to
attend the annual meetings of the Scientific Committee and intersessional workshops of the SWGEC;

ENCOURAGES Contracting Governments to send scientists with experience in the field of environmental
changes to take part in the Scientific Committee and specifically the SWGEC;

URGES the Scientific Committee, in its work on comprehensive assessments, to examine, in accordance with
its previous determinations, the general features of whale dynamics, including the impacts on cetaceans of
environmental changes and the influence of human factors other than direct exploitation; and

AGREES to establish a regular Commission agenda item entitled “Environmental Concerns,” under which the
Scientific Committee would continue to report annually on its progress in non-lethal research on environmental
concerns, and Contracting Governments could report annually on national and regional efforts to monitor and
address the impacts of environmental change on cetaceans and other marine mammals.

Status
Adopted
Treaty
ICRW

Resolution 1998-4

Decisions Document Number
1998-4
Long Title
Resolution on whaling under Special Permit
Body

WHEREAS Article VIII of the Convention provides for the issuing by Contracting Governments of special
permits for scientific research and paragraph 7 (b) of the Schedule establishes a sanctuary in the Southern
Ocean;

RECALLING previous resolutions on whaling under special permits adopted by the Commission (1995-9,
1996-7 and 1997-5), relating to lethal scientific research in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean;

NOTING that in 1997 the Commission affirmed that the JARPA and JARPN programmes did not address
critically important research needs for the management of whaling in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific
Ocean;

NOW, THEREFORE, THE COMMISSION:
REGRETS that despite multiple IWC resolutions affirming that these lethal research programmes did not
address critically important research needs, the Government of Japan continues the programmes of lethal
research, particularly in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary.

DIRECTS the Scientific Committee, with respect to all special permit research programmes, to continue to
identify non-lethal methods and alternative sources of data that might be used in meeting the stated research
objectives;

INSTRUCTS the Secretary to notify the Contracting Government concerned if a continuing or proposed
special permit research programme does not meet critically important research needs, as determined by the
Commission in the above resolutions;

NOTES the grave concerns of eminent members of the international scientific community over the
continuation of lethal whale research programmes which were specified in a letter, (IWC/50/17) of 23 January
1998, to the Chairman of the Commission; in particular; “that moral and ethical isssues are properly raised
when:

A single research programme results in over 2,500 cetaceans being killed over 8 years, with the prospect of
another 8 years to come; and

Whale meat and other whale products resulting from lethal scientific whaling are being sold in commercial
markets, while a moratorium on commercial whaling remains in force.”

REQUESTS that the Secretariat undertake, for the next Annual Meeting of the International Whaling
Commission, a comprehensive review of the ethical considerations taken into account by other international
scientific organizations with respect to scientific research;

RECOMMENDS that, if whales are killed under the provisions of Article VIII of the Convention, this should
be done in a manner consistent with the provisions of Section III of the Schedule;

REAFFIRMS its previous request that the Government of Japan refrain from issuing any further permits for
the take of minke whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and the North Pacific Ocean.

Status
Adopted
Treaty
ICRW

Resolution 1998-3

Decisions Document Number
1998-3
Long Title
Resolution On The Southern Ocean Sanctuary
Body

IWC Resolution 1998-3
Resolution On The Southern Ocean Sanctuary
RECALLING that the Commission at its 46th Annual Meeting adopted paragraph 7(b) of the Schedule, which
established the Southern Ocean Sanctuary;

NOTING that this provision is to be reviewed ten years after initial adoption and at succeeding ten-year
intervals;

AWARE of the Scientific Committee’s request for advice from the Commission with respect to commonly
agreed objectives for the Southern Ocean Sanctuary (Chairman’s Report of the 49th Annual Meeting, p.29);

FURTHER AWARE of the Scientific Committee’s desire to prepare in advance for the anticipated review in
2004 (IWC/50/4);

RECOGNISING the progress made in this area by the Standing Working Group on Environmental Concerns
(SWGEC);

NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
AFFIRMS that the agreed objectives of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary are to provide for:
1. The recovery of whale stocks, including the undertaking of appropriate research upon and monitoring of
depleted populations;

2. The continuation of the Comprehensive Assessment of the effects of setting zero catch limits on whale
stocks; and

3. The undertaking of research on the effects of environmental change on whale stocks;
DIRECTS the Scientific Committee to give high priority to implementing the recommendations of the Norfolk
Island Intersessional Meeting of the Working Group on a Sanctuary in the Southern Ocean (Rep. Int. Whal.
Commn 45, 1995); and in the context of those recommendations specifically to:

INCREASE cooperation with governmental, regional and other international organisations working on related
issues in the Southern Ocean;

FURTHER develop and support existing international and national non-lethal cetacean research in the
Sanctuary which will contribute to the conservation objectives of the Sanctuary;

PROVIDE the Commission with a long term framework for non-lethal research, including multidisciplinary
research, on environmental changes and their impact on cetaceans in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, so that the
Commission is able to make appropriate decisions to ensure effective conservation of whale stocks in that
region;

ENSURE that this work conforms with the provisions relating to sanctuaries, and that it will clearly contribute
to the review of the Sanctuary in 2004;

GIVE priority to those proposals for non-lethal research which will address conservation and management
objectives for the Sanctuary in a time frame consistent with contributing to the review in 2004 and beyond.

Status
Adopted
Treaty
ICRW

Resolution 1998-2

Decisions Document Number
1998-2
Long Title
Resolution On Total Catches Over Time
Body

RECALLING that one of the remaining elements of the Revised Management Scheme to be completed
consists of “arrangements to ensure that total catches over time are within limits set under the RMS” (IWC
Resolution 1996-6);
FURTHER RECALLING the general agreement in the 1997 RMS Working Group that “in setting catch limits
the Commission should, as far as possible, use the CLA [Catch Limit Algorithm] to determine the allowable
removal and then take account of all known human–induced mortalities including aboriginal subsistence
whaling, scientific whaling, whaling outside the IWC, bycatches, ship strikes and other non-natural removals”
(Rep. int.Whal.Commn 49: item 12.1.2);

NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
AGREES that the catch limits calculated by the Scientific Committee in accordance with the Revised
Management Procedure as part of an agreed Revised Management Scheme represent the total allowable
removal;
FURTHER AGREES that catch limits for commercial purposes for any species of whale in any region shall be
calculated by deducting all human-induced mortalities that are known or can be reasonably estimated, other
than commercial catches, from the total allowable removal;
REQUESTS the Scientific Committee to provide advice in this regard for the Commission's consideration for
inclusion in the Revised Management Scheme.

Status
Adopted
Treaty
ICRW