(from "Chairman's Report of the Forty-First Annual Meeting")

13.1.1 Minke whales
Southern Hemisphere
The Scientific Committee considered the results of the 1987/88 IWC/IDCR minke whale assessment cruise. The results of this analysis and previously accepted estimates for the abundance of minke whales south of 60°S are given in Table 1. The Committee noted the difficulties in comparing results for the same Areas in different years. These problems were addressed in the methodological discussions of the Committee.

Northeast Atlantic
The Scientific Committee received an estimate of 23,381 (CV 0.155) for that portion of the Northeastern stock covered by a 1988 Norwegian survey. This is substantially higher than the estimate of 12,459 obtained for approximately the same area in 1987. As the 1988 survey had been conducted in a different year from the surveys of the remainder of the stock area, the Committee did not attempt to provide a new estimate for this stock. It agreed to accept the provisional estimate of 19,112 (CV 0.163) [or 17,014 (CV 0.179) if one poorly surveyed block is excluded] presented at last year's meeting.

The Committee also discussed the experiments carried out off Norway last year and the proposed work for the coming year concerning the chemical immobilisation and marking of minke whales with a view to the surgical implantation of satellite transmitters.

13.1.2 Fin whales
Southern Hemisphere fin whales are discussed under Item 13.1.7.

North Atlantic
The Scientific Committee received a revised estimate of stock size for the East Greenland - Iceland stock of fin whales from the 1987 North Atlantic Sightings Survey. The estimate available last year had been provisional. The Committee agreed that the revised estimate of 11,563 (CV 0.261) was the best available for this stock. The Committee looked forward to receiving the results of the planned 1989 North Atlantic Sightings Survey at its 1990 meeting.

13.1.3 Sei whales
Southern Hemisphere sei whales are discussed under Item 13.1.7.

North Atlantic
The 1987 North Atlantic sightings survey had only covered a small portion of the summer distribution of the sei whale in the North Atlantic and no estimate of stock size is available. The Scientific Committee noted that the sei whale is a priority stock for the 1989 North Atlantic Sightings Survey and noted with pleasure that the survey will cover this stock area at least as far south as 52°N.

13.1.4 Bryde's whales
The Scientific Committee made two recommendations for analysis of sightings and marking data for the Western North Pacific stock which were discussed by the Joint Working Group of the Technical and Scientific Committees on the Comprehensive Assessment (see Item 9.1/2.5).

13.1.5 Sperm whales
A research proposal concerning sperm whales was forwarded to the Finance and Administration Committee. Southern Hemisphere sperm whales are considered under Item 13.1.7.

13.1.6 Bottlenosed whales
Northern bottlenosed whales
The Scientific Committee discussed a provisional estimate of stock size from the 1987 North Atlantic Sightings Survey and other surveys in the North Atlantic but agreed that problems of area coverage and corrections for dive times meant that re-assessment of the stock would be premature. The Committee noted with concern that three whales of this protected species had been taken in the Faroese drive fishery in 1988. This was discussed by the Infractions Sub-committee (see Item 11).

Baird's beaked whales
The Scientific Committee noted that there had been an increase in the Japanese national quota from 40 to 60, as a one year emergency measure to partially replace the former catch of minke whales pending settlement of the question of whether there will be a future take of that species. The Committee noted, but did not review, new abundance estimates for this species of 2,500 animals in the coastal stock and 1,000 additional whales within the Japanese 200 mile EEZ in the Sea of Japan and the Okhotsk Sea.

13.1.7 Protected species
Southern Hemisphere right whales
The Scientific Committee considered the increasing trends in abundance of populations of right whales off South Africa and Argentina in its discussions of biological parameters and MSY rates in the context of the Comprehensive Assessment (see Item 9.1/2.4).

Information on photo-identification studies, including the results of a research proposal funded by the Commission, were considered by the Scientific Committee and a summary of sightings reported in papers to the Committee was compiled.

Other Antarctic stocks
The Scientific Committee received provisional estimates of abundance of non-minke whale species south of 60°S, using data collected during the 1978/79 to 1985/86 IWC/IDCR Southern Hemisphere minke whale assessment cruises. The methodology was essentially the same as that used for minke whales but the smaller number of sightings meant the data could not be stratified nor estimates calculated by Area. The estimates all require adjustment for the unsurveyed area and for whales missed on the trackline. In discussing the fin (2,096, CV 0.47) and sei (1,498, CV 0.46) estimates the Committee noted that a large proportion of sei whale catches, and sei and fin whale sightings from scouting boats, were made north of 60°S. The present values thus underestimated the abundance of these species. The values for other species were blue 453 (CV 0.84); humpback 4,047 (CV 0.28) and sperm 3,059 (CV 0.56). For sperm whales the surveyed area excludes most of the species' range. The Committee noted that although the estimates had not been made by Area, they were very much less than the total known catches from the stocks. It concluded that at least the blue and fin whale stocks were only a very small fraction of their unexploited size. Some members expressed reservations about this statement for fin whales.

13.2 Action arising
The Technical Committee took note of all these matters and brought them to the attention of the Commission.

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