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

General
The Scientific Committee reaffirmed its view of the importance of Progress Reports and again recommended that the Commission urges member nations to provide them following the approved guidelines.

Concerning the validation of computer programs used in the population assessment models, the Scientific Committee recommended that the developers of these programs create a common subroutine and document both the computer code and the algebraic specification before further validation of the programs implementing the population assessment model is undertaken.

The draft terms of reference and a draft agenda for a meeting on Maximum Sustainable Yield Rates to be held at the 1993 Annual Meeting were reviewed and agreed by the Scientific Committee.

The Scientific Committee discussed a draft proposal for a Workshop on multi-species interactions, feeding ecology and marine ecosystems with special reference to whales in the North Atlantic. Revised proposals will be presented next year.

The Sub-committee on Southern Hemisphere Baleen Whales had recommended that a comprehensive review of the food and feeding habits of Southern Hemisphere baleen whales should be undertaken. The Scientific Committee endorsed this recommendation and noted that this work might be carried out by Japanese scientists or, if not, it might be appropriate to consider putting the study out to contract.

The Scientific Committee pointed out that it had worked for 14 consecutive days usually until 22:00 each day. Despite this, the agenda had only just been completed and several sections of the report had not been formally approved. The Committee noted that it had been unrealistic to expect to complete the agenda it had set itself this year and believed that the workload had been unacceptably high. The Committee wished to draw these points to the attention of the Commission.

Small cetaceans
The priority items considered by the Scientific Committee this year were new information and any action arising from past recommendations on white whales and narwhals, and Japanese drive fisheries.

The Scientific Committee offered advice and recommendations on white whales concerning genetic studies and the potential contribution of satellite tracking to questions of stock identity; that hunting mortality be reduced to below current levels in the Baffin Bay stock; and that surveys be initiated to provide new information on population estimates and trends in this stock, including corrections for submerged animals from satellite and VHF radio-tagged animals.

The advice and recommendations for narwhals included improvements in the catch reporting schemes in Canada and Greenland, and estimates of hunting losses; surveys of the Baffin Bay stock area; and satellite telemetry and genetic studies for stock identity and population estimation.

In the Japanese drive fisheries, the Scientific Committee strongly recommended that an assessment of the striped dolphin population be made as a matter of urgency, strongly advised an interim halt to all direct catches of this species until the assessment is complete; and that catch limits be set by species for all the other species taken.

For other species, it was recommended that recording schemes for incidental takes of harbour porpoises be implemented and the data provided to the Commission; and that data on incidental and directed catches of small cetaceans be collected and submitted to the IWC.

Plenary discussion
Denmark noted with interest the estimate of pilot whales in the survey areas of the central and eastern North Atlantic of 778,000 (95% CI 442,000 - 1,370,000) and thanked the Scientific Committee for this work.

Chile took note of the Scientific Committee's recommendation to give priority to small cetaceans used as bait in the Chilean crab fishery. This is one of the most poorly understood small cetacean issues, and Chile expressed its willingness to give cooperation and assistance to the studies to be undertaken, such as those prepared by the Cetacean Specialist Group of IUCN, to help in its internal national jurisdiction. Australia noted these remarks with interest and encouragement. Brazil sought and received clarification from the Chairman of the Scientific Committee on the scope of the recommendations.

Japan restated its view that the IWC does not have competence over small cetaceans but respected the 1980 Resolution on the work of the Scientific Committee. It pointed out that only 16 of the Commission's 37 member nations send scientists to the Scientific Committee, 14 submit Progress Reports and only 8 had catch data including small cetaceans. It took very seriously the recommendations in the Scientific Committee report and will continue to collect data and endeavour to enhance its management scheme. Because of the need to resolve the legal controversies, Mexico reserved its position on any recommendations derived from the Small Cetaceans Sub-committee, which it believed inappropriately extended the Commissions' responsibilities.

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