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

Proposals for 1991/92 included a further IDCR Southern Hemisphere minke whale cruise. The Scientific Committee noted with appreciation that the Government of Japan had again allocated resources and vessels for this cruise, provisionally proposed to be carried out in the western half of Area III. Given the Committee's current interest in southern baleen whales other than minke, it recommended that every opportunity should be taken to take individual identification photographs and biopsy samples from humpback, blue and right whales.

The Scientific Committee had also recommended continued funding of two research proposals it had supported on humpbacks and a third new project. Although the Commission had not included these in its basic budget, it was suggested that they should be endorsed as valuable research.

The Committee agreed that the Secretariat should try to obtain the negatives and prints of all photographs taken on IDCR cruises suitable for individual recognition studies. It was also agreed that institutions requesting biopsy samples from IDCR cruises should submit research proposals according to the Committee's guidelines.

14.2 Action arising
In the plenary, Japan spoke of the value of the IDCR Southern Hemisphere cruises in the Comprehensive Assessment of the minke whales and for future work on other southern baleen whales. It strongly supported the programme proposed, and since 1978/79 had provided vessels, crew and logistical support. It hoped for expansion of these techniques and methodologies to other species and areas.

The Commission then endorsed the recommendations and suggestions from the Scientific Committee.

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