esolution 2003-3
Resolution on Southern Hemisphere Minke Whales and Special Permit Whaling
NOTING that the Government of Japan continues to issue Special Permits, under the provisions of Article VIII
of the Convention, for lethal scientific research on minke whales in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary (Japan’s
Whale Research Program under Special Permit in Antarctica – JARPA);
RECALLING that the Scientific Committee agreed in 2000 that there was no valid estimate for Southern
Hemisphere minke whales and that there is still no agreed estimate for Southern Hemisphere minke whales;
FURTHER RECALLING concerns expressed in Resolution 2000-4 regarding appreciably lower preliminary
abundance estimates for Southern Hemisphere minke whales;
CONCERNED that the Scientific Committee report of 2001 did not rule out that the Southern Hemisphere
minke whale population may have suffered a precipitous decline over the past decade;
NOTING Resolution 2001-7, which requested that the Scientific Committee provide to the Commission at IWC
54:
(i) a list of plausible hypotheses that may explain this apparent population decline,
(ii) the possible implications that such a decline in abundance may have for the management of minke
whales in the Southern Hemisphere, and for ecologically-related species, in particular other
cetaceans, and the state of the Antarctic marine ecosystem;
FURTHER NOTING that the list of plausible hypotheses reported by the Scientific Committee (IWC/54/4 –
Report of the Scientific Committee) mostly focused on explanations for a decline in abundance estimates rather
than an actual decline in population; and concluded it was most appropriate to fully address the request contained
in Resolution 2001-7 after completing its work on reviewing the IDCR/SOWER abundance estimates, which in
2003 remains incomplete;
RECOGNISING the emerging importance of alternative non-lethal research methodologies such as scat DNA
sampling and biopsy samples;
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION
REQUESTS the Scientific Committee to provide to the Commission, after the completion of the IDCR/SOWER
abundance estimates, all plausible hypotheses to explain any decline in abundance estimates that may emerge,
and in doing so to consider fully:
(i) the possible negative impact of the take of minke whales under Japan’s Research Program in the
Antarctic, including struck and lost data, on the decline in minke whales population estimates; as
well as
(ii) the impact of environmental change factors;
CALLS ON the Government of Japan to halt the JARPA program, or to revise it so that it is limited to non-lethal
research methodologies;
RECOMMENDS that no additional JARPA programs be considered until the Scientific Committee has
completed:
(i) an in-depth review of the results of sixteen years of JARPA;
(ii) its review of the abundance estimates for Southern Hemisphere minkes; and
(iii) the actions requested above
and that any such programs should be limited to non-lethal research.

Resolution on Whaling under Special Permit
AWARE that Article VIII of the ICRW allows contracting Governments to grant Special Permits for purposes of
scientific research on whales;
NOTING that Article VIII of the ICRW was drafted and accepted by States Parties in 1946, at a time when few
alternatives to lethal investigations existed, a situation drastically different from today;
RECALLING that since the adoption of the moratorium on commercial whaling in 1985/1986, the IWC has
adopted over 30 resolutions on special permit whaling in which it has expressed its opinion that special permit
whaling should: only be permitted in exceptional circumstances (1995-8 and 9); meet critically important
research needs (1987); satisfy criteria established by the Scientific Committee; be consistent with the
Commission’s conservation policy (1987/1); be conducted using non lethal research techniques (1995-9); and
ensure the conservation of whales in sanctuaries (1995-8);
RECALLING in particular that the Commission has expressed serious concern at the possibility of whaling for
scientific purposes assuming the characteristics of commercial whaling (1985/2);
RECALLING also that the Commission has stated that the meat and products of special permit whaling should
be utilised entirely for domestic consumption (IWC1994-7) and that any commercial international trade in whale
products obtained from research whaling undermines the effectiveness of the IWC’s conservation programme
(1994-7);
CONCERNED that over 7,500 whales have been taken in special permit whaling operations since the
moratorium on commercial whaling entered into force and there is no complete record as to how many whales
have been struck and lost;
AWARE that whales caught in Japan’s special permit operations provide over 3,000 tonnes of edible products
per year that are sold for commercial purposes;
NOTING that Iceland has presented a programme to the Commission which would allow the killing of 250
whales (100 minke, 100 fin and 50 sei whales) a year for two years in a Special Permit whaling operation that
would provide over 4000 tonnes of edible products;
NOTING that there has never been a formal assessment of sei whales in Icelandic waters, that considerable
concern was expressed during the discussions of the Scientific Committee with regard to the status of this
population, and that the take of 50 sei whales under the Icelandic feasibility programme would likely threaten its
recovery;
RECOGNISING that considerable information on feeding ecology collected by Iceland under its previous
Special Permit suggests that fin and sei whale diet is comprised principally of krill and that genetic analysis of
whale scats would provide an ideal non-lethal method for determining prey shifts in their diet;
NOTING with concern that most of the data collected under Iceland’s previous Special Permit has not yet been
published; that most whales killed under that previous permit were exported; and that thousands of archival
tissue samples are currently available which could enable the completion of this feasibility programme.
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION
EXPRESSES deep concern that the provision permitting special permit whaling enables countries to conduct
whaling for commercial purposes despite the moratorium on commercial whaling;
STATES that the current and proposed Special Permit whaling operations represent an act contrary to the spirit
of the moratorium on commercial whaling and to the will of the Commission;
STATES that Article VIII of the Convention is not intended to be exploited in order to provide whale meat for
commercial purposes and shall not be so used;2
REAFFIRMS that non-lethal techniques available today will usually provide better data at less cost to both
animals and budget;
URGES any country conducting or considering the conduct of Special Permit whaling to terminate or not
commence such activities and to limit scientific research to non-lethal methods only.

WHEREAS the first objective of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling is “the interest of the nations of
the world in safeguarding for future generations the great natural resources represented by the whale stocks”;
MINDFUL that, given the depleted status of great whale populations at the inception of the IWC, and that during the last 25
years, the International Whaling Commission has devoted a overwhelming part of its work to the pursuit of that conservation
objective;
NOTING that, through the adoption of more than a hundred conservation-oriented resolutions(1), as well as through various
Schedule amendments, the Commission has evolved into an organization internationally recognized, among other things, for
its meaningful contributions to the conservation of great whales; furthering that conservation work through those Resolutions
and Schedule amendments, the Commission has gradually developed an extensive conservation-oriented agenda(2);
NOTING that since the Convention came into force in 1948 several key conventions have been adopted which may affect
great whales, including, inter alia, UNLOS, CITES, IOC, ICSU, the CBD, CMS, ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS;
RECOGNIZING the various challenges referred to in previous Resolutions and Schedule Amendments, it is prudent for the
Commission to effectively organize its future work in the pursuit of its objective by devising an appropriate agenda that
places special emphasis on its benefits to conservation.
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
WELCOMES initiatives to assess the achievements and orientation of the cumulative work of the Commission in the pursuit
of its conservation objective;
ENDORSES the proposals made by various Contracting Governments to organize, on the basis of that assessment, the
future Conservation Agenda of the Commission and to cooperate in its preparation;
DECIDES to establish a Conservation Committee of the Commission, composed of all Contracting Parties, in conformity
with Article III paragraph 4 of the Convention;
DECIDES to entrust the Conservation Committee with:
(1) The preparation and recommendation to the Commission of its future Conservation Agenda, taking full account of
this Resolution;
(2) The implementation of those items in the Agenda that the Commission may refer to it and
(3) Making recommendations to the Commission in order to maintain and update the Conservation Agenda on a
continuing basis.
INSTRUCTS the Conservation Committee to meet before the Commission’s Annual Meeting in 2004, in order to organize
its work, so that the Conservation Agenda can be considered for adoption by the Commission at that Annual Meeting.
DIRECTS the Conservation Committee to explore how the Commission can coordinate its conservation agenda through
greater collaboration with a wider range of other organizations and conventions including inter alia CMS, CCAMLR, IMO,
IUCN, and UNEP.
REQUESTS the Scientific Committee to advise the Conservation Committee in the performance of the tasks entrusted to it
in this Resolution, and to ensure that the appropriate scientific research items, including inter alia, whalewatching,
environmental issues and behavioural research, under the responsibility of the Scientific Committee, are incorporated in the
Conservation Agenda.2
REQUESTS the Conservation Committee to begin exploring the possible establishment, by the Commission, of an
appropriate trust fund (including the identification of potential contributors), to make available the necessary financial
resources to the Commission and, particularly, to the Contracting Governments committed to implementing specific items of
the Conservation Agenda related to conservation-oriented research. To that end, the Committee shall give priority to the
question of securing assistance for scientific research and capacity building for scientists and institutions from developing
countries, and shall take advantage from the experiences obtained in other international environmental and conservation
conventions and treaties, in the establishment of similarly-oriented international funds.
DIRECTS the Secretariat to prepare a report, to be considered by the Commission at its next annual meeting, on the
implementation of Resolution 1998-6 regarding the establishment of a dedicated “Environment Research Fund” to facilitate
research on environmental change and cetaceans, as well as on the results of the appeal it made in its Resolution 1999-5 “to
the Contracting Governments, other governments, international organizations and other bodies to contribute financially an in
kind” to research programs, and to include in that report a recommendation to the Commission, as to how that Fund could
best be considered in the light of the possible establishment of the trust fund referred to in the previous paragraph

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Resolution 2004-7
RESOLUTION ON THE FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS OF THE
INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION
AWARE that the Rules of Procedure of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) provide for a regular
Annual Meeting of the Commission, and that the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair of the IWC shall serve
for a period of three years;
NOTING that other international Conventions dealing with fisheries, species, biodiversity and the
environment organise their affairs very effectively on the basis of biennial or triennial meetings;
CONCERNED that the costs of the annual meetings of the IWC are increasing from year to year;
NOTING that many Contracting Parties, especially from developing countries, have difficulty in meeting the
high costs of attending annual meetings of the Commission;
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION HEREBY DECIDES:
That the principle of meetings of the IWC being held less frequently than regular Annual Meetings be
explored;
That, in applying this principle, the intention should be to avoid holding more frequent inter-sessionary
meetings as a counter-balancing measure;
That a working group be established by the Commission to investigate and make recommendations on the
implications of less frequent meetings of the IWC;
That, in its deliberations, the working group should have particular regard to the implications of less frequent
meetings for the term of office of the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Commission; for the work of the other
Committees of the IWC; and, with specific regard to the deliberations of the Scientific Committee, that the
group should examine whether the current pattern of holding annual meetings should be maintained in the
initial years of the new arrangements at least;
That the working group should report to IWC 57 in Ulsan, Republic of Korea.

RESOLUTION ON COMPLETION OF THE REVISED MANAGEMENT SCHEME (RMS)
RECOGNISING the dual mandate of the IWC for the conservation of whales and the management of
whaling according to the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling;
NOTING that on this basis, considerable progress has been made in identifying major elements necessary to
reach broad agreement on the RMS, as reflected in the Chairman’s Proposal for a Way Forward on the RMS
(Doc IWC/56/26);
TAKING NOTE of the comments of Contracting Parties on the Chairman’s Proposal at the 56th Annual
Meeting of the Commission;
CONCERNED that the failure to reach broad agreement on the RMS in the near future may seriously
jeopardise the ability of the IWC to fulfil its responsibilities;
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
COMMENDS the efforts of the Chairman in providing a basis for further work and discussion towards
finalizing the RMS;
AGREES to re-establish the Working Group on the RMS with a view to holding an intersessional meeting
prior to IWC/57, as outlined in the attached Intersessional Plan of Work.
AGREES to proceed expeditiously towards the completion of both the drafting of text and technical details
of the RMS according to the attached Intersessional Plan of Work with the aim of having the results ready
for consideration, including for possible adoption, at IWC57, and/or to identify any outstanding policy and
technical issues.

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Resolution 2004-5
RESOLUTION ON POSSIBLE SYNERGIES WITH THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY.
COGNIZANT of the need to have strong supporting relationships with other international bodies that deal
with subject matter with a strong overlapping interest,
RECOGNISING Paragraph 121 of the 2002 Plan of Implementation from the World Summit on Sustainable
Development which called for an ‘Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development’ which would be
strengthened by:
“Increasing effectiveness and efficiency through limiting overlap and duplication of activities of
international organizations, within and outside of the United Nations system, based on their mandates
and comparative advantages.”
APPRECIATIVE of the International Whaling Commissions long standing interactions with, inter alia,
CITES, CMS & CCAMLR,
DESIROUS to support synergies between overlapping conventions so as to improve mutually reinforcing
scientific, administrative, policy and financial assistance objectives,
CONSCIOUS of the need to fully support the respective primacy of each organization.
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
DIRECTS the Secretariat to establish high level contact with the Secretariat of the Global Environment
Facility and to:
explore possible synergies and their possible utility of the GEF to the IWC, and investigate, inter alia,
possible avenues for the utilization of GEF funding for IWC related projects, with specific regard to:
(i) Assistance for developing countries for scientific research and policies for scientific research,
as directed by the IWC.
(ii) The utility in joint projects seeking funding with other international organizations, such as,
inter alia, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Migratory Species, the
World Heritage Convention, and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands,
(iii) An examination of the modalities that the GEF seeks to satisfy and whether IWC projects,
now or in the future, could be made to fit such objectives.
The Secretariat shall report back to the 57th IWC meeting on these matters.

Resolution 2004-4
PROPOSAL TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE SPECIAL POSITION OF VERY SMALL
COUNTRIES IN CALCULATING FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
NOTING that contracting parties should contribute financially to the Commission in a fair and
equitable manner;
RECOGNISING that two contracting parties that currently belong to capacity-to-pay Group 3,
according to the Interim Measure for calculating contributions, are very small countries with a very
small population, and thus a much smaller Gross National Income than the other countries that belong
to that Group;
ALSO RECOGNISING that in all other international organisations the special position of these two
countries is properly taken into account in the calculation of financial contributions.
RECOGNISING further that taking account of the special position of these countries within the IWC
should not affect the financial contributions of those contracting parties that have the least capacity to
pay, and thus belong to Group 1 according to the Interim Measure for calculating contributions;
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
DECIDES that, under the Interim Measure for calculating contributions, Monaco and San Marino are
transferred from capacity-to-pay Group 3 to Group 2;
FURTHER DECIDES that this transfer shall have no effect on the contribution of contracting
parties that belong to capacity-to-pay Group 1.
 

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Resolution 2004-3
RESOLUTION ON WHALE KILLING ISSUES
RECOGNISING THAT welfare considerations for cetaceans killed for food is of international concern;
NOTING THAT Article V.1.f of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling empowers the
Commission to amend the Schedule “to adopt regulations with respect to the conservation and utilisation of
whale resources by fixing ... types and specifications of gear and apparatus and appliances which may be
used”, and that the Commission has exercised this welfare mandate through modification of the schedule and
adopting 15 resolutions on welfare aspects of whaling which have established several technical fora for
addressing welfare issues;
RECALLING THAT the IWC has defined “Humane Killing” as “Death brought about without pain, stress,
or distress perceptible to the animal. That is the ideal. Any humane killing technique aims first to render an
animal insensitive to pain as swiftly as technically possible. In practice this cannot be instantaneous in the
scientific sense” (IWC/33/15 & IWC/51/12) and that, in order to determine whether these criteria are met,
various data must be collected from whaling operations;
FURTHER RECOGNISING that the IWC criteria used to determine death or irreversible insensibility are
inadequate; while also recognising that the IWC Working Group and Workshops on Whale Killing Methods
are attempting to develop criteria to more adequately determine death or irreversible insensitivity both
operationally and from post-mortem approaches;
NOTING THAT the efficiency of killing methods is influenced by many factors including the calibre of the
weapon used, the nature of the ammunition, the target area of the whale, the angle of the shot, the proximity
of the whale to the vessel, the accuracy of the gunner, prevailing weather conditions and sea state, including
sea ice, and the size and species of the whale targeted;
NOTING FURTHER THAT data collection requirements are not being met in some hunts, while
appreciating that efforts have been made by some member nations to provide available data;
RECALLING that Contracting Parties should make reasonable attempts to release alive, with the minimum
harm possible, whales that have been incidentally captured (IWC Resolution 2001-4), but that the
Commission has not considered the welfare implications of this practice nor the killing methods that might
be employed if the whale cannot be released;
NOTING WITH CONCERN THAT the number of whales struck in some hunts can have significant welfare
implications, while appreciating the efforts of certain member nations, especially Norway, to improve the
humaneness of their hunts through weapons improvement programs and increased hunt efficiency;
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
EXPRESSES CONCERN, in light of its mandate and long-standing commitment to address welfare issues,
that current whaling methods do not guarantee death without pain, stress or distress; that data presently
collected and submitted to the Commission are of insufficient quality or completeness for it to make a fully
informed assessment of the welfare implications of all whaling operations; and that the criteria currently
used to determine the onset of death or irreversible insensibility are inadequate;
REQUESTS THE SECRETARIAT TO update the data collection form for the reporting of data in order that
contracting governments may report data for each whale taken, the killing method used and samples taken;
REQUESTS the IWC57 annual meeting to reconvene the Working Group on Whale Killing Methods and
Associated Welfare issues, to examine methods for reducing struck and lost rates in whaling operations and
to consider the welfare implications of methods used to kill whales caught in nets;
REQUESTS the Working Group on Whale Killing Methods and Associated Welfare Issues to advise the
Commission on:
• establishing better criteria for determining the onset of irreversible insensibility and death;
• methods of improving the efficiency of whale killing methods and
• reducing times to death and other associated welfare issues.

Annual Report of the International Whaling Commission 2004
56th Annual Meeting, 2004
Resolution 2004-2
RESOLUTION ON JAPANESE COMMUNITY-BASED WHALING
WHEREAS, since 1986, the International Whaling Commission has repeatedly discussed in-depth the
importance of history and culture of Japanese traditional whaling at its various working groups and the
Commission itself;
Whereas the International Whaling Commission, recognising the socio-economic and cultural needs of the
four community-based whaling communities in Japan (Abashiri, Ayukawa, Wadaura and Taiji), has
repeatedly resolved to work expeditiously to alleviate the distress to the communities which has resulted
from the cessation of minke whaling (first, IWC/45/51; most recently, IWC Resolution 2001-6);
WHEREAS, more recently, the Summits of Japanese Traditional Whaling Communities were held in three
consecutive years in Japan (Nagato, Yamaguchi in 2002, Ikitsuki, Nagasaki in 2003, and Muroto, Kochi in
2004) and they have further examined the long-lasting whaling history and culture which are deeply rooted
in various places of Japan, not only in four community-based whaling communities but also throughout
Japan;
WHEREAS the Summits acknowledged that archaeological findings have shown that the ancient Japanese
could have started to utilise beached whales at least 9,000 years ago, could have begun active hunting of
dolphins and porpoises at least 5,000 years ago, and could have launched grand-scale active hunting of large
whales at least 2,000 years ago;
WHEREAS the Summits emphasised that, among others, holding the philosophy and having skills to utilise
whales fully was and is the core essence of the Japanese whaling culture;
WHEREAS the Declarations adopted at the Summits (the 2002 Nagato Declaration, the 2003 Ikitsuki
Declaration, and the 2004 Muroto Declaration) pledged that Japanese time-honoured whaling traditions and
culture are to be passed onto the future generations; and
WHEREAS various UN conventions, treaties, and other documents upheld the importance of sustainable use
of natural resources in general and the significance of continued customary resource use for communities;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE COMMMISSION:
REAFFIRMS the Commission’s commitment to work expeditiously to alleviate the continued difficulties
caused by the cessation of minke whaling to the communities of Abashiri, Ayukawa, Wadaura and Taiji, and
ENCOURAGES IWC members to co-operate towards a resolution of this matter.

Annual Report of the International Whaling Commission 2004
56th Annual Meeting, 2004
Resolution 2004-1
RESOLUTION ON WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC GRAY WHALE
CONCERNED that the IUCN listed the western gray whale as “critically endangered” in 2000 because of its
geographic and genetic isolation combined with the small population size of about 100;
FURTHER CONCERNED that the Scientific Committee has noted that only 23 reproductive females are
known;
NOTING that the Scientific Committee in 2004 strongly agreed that the evidence that this population is in
serious danger of extinction is compelling;
RECALLING that in 2001 the Commission passed a Resolution (Resolution 2001-3) calling on range states
and others to actively pursue all practicable solutions to eliminate anthropogenic mortality in the western
North Pacific gray whale stock and to minimise anthropogenic disturbances in the migration corridor and on
their breeding and feeding grounds;
DEEPLY CONCERNED by the report of the 2004 Scientific Committee that states that the recovery and
growth of the population appear to be hindered by a variety of biological difficulties and that the onset of oil
and gas development programs is of particular concern with regard to the survival of this population;
NOTING the management recommendations of the 2004 Scientific Committee that as a matter of absolute
urgency measures are taken to protect this population and its habitat off Sakhalin Island;
NOTING that although there already was independent scientific advice, there is, nevertheless, a continued
need for expert and independent scientific advice on the effects that oil and gas development projects might
have on the western North Pacific gray whale stock.
NOTING that in recent years significant resources and effort in studying the western North Pacific gray
whale stock near Sakhalin Island, and that in view of the uncertainty over the possible negative impacts on
the population and its habitat by current oil and gas activities, this kind of research and monitoring must be
continued in greater detail as oil and gas activities increase in scale.
FURTHER NOTING that the International Whaling Commission is internationally recognised as having
competence for the management and conservation of whale stocks, has a wealth of scientific knowledge and
expertise and has been reviewing research on the western gray whale population off the Sakhalin Island
since 1995.
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
CALLS UPON range states and others to be mindful of Resolution 2001-3 when contemplating exploration
projects in and around Sakhalin Island and to continue to observe the recommendations to actively pursue all
practicable actions to eliminate anthropogenic mortality in this stock and to minimise anthropogenic
disturbances in the migration corridor and on breeding and feeding grounds;
ENDORSES all conclusions and recommendations of the 2004 Scientific Committee concerning western
gray whales including that:
(1) “as a matter of absolute urgency that measures be taken to protect this population and its habitat off
Sakhalin Island”;
(2) “strongly recommends that the ongoing Russian-US and Russian and Republic of Korea national
programmes on western gray whale research and monitoring continues and expands into the future”;
(3) “strongly recommends that all range states develop or expand national monitoring and research
programmes on western gray whales”;
(4) “strongly recommends that in situations when displacement of whales could have significant
demographic consequences, seismic surveys should be stopped.”
REQUESTS that the Secretariat urgently offers its services and scientific expertise to the organisations
concerned with oil and gas development projects and potential exploration projects in the Sakhalin area, and
provides them with the findings of any relevant research and Scientific Committee reports;
FURTHER REQUESTS that the Secretariat makes every effort to actively participate and provide advice
and expertise at any international expert panels convened to consider the impacts on the western gray whale
of oil and gas development projects in and around Sakhalin Island.FURTHER REQUESTS that the Commission request all the range states to develop, begin or continue
scientific research programmes on the migration, distribution, breeding, population assessment and other
research of the entire range of the western gray whale.