research did not appear to satisfy the criteria set out in 

 its 1986 Resolution on Special Permits or to be structured in 

 a way to provide information essential for stock management. 

 The resolution therefore recommended that Japan refrain from 

 issuing special permits for the proposed research until such 

 time as the Scientific Committee resolves its uncertainties 

 concerning Japan's research proposal. 



In view of the comments and actions taken at the June 

 1987 meeting of the IWC, Japan developed a revised research 

 proposal following the meeting. A copy of the revised proposal 

 was provided for information and review purposes to the National 

 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 15 October 1987 by 

 the Director of the Japanese Fisheries Agency. Among other 

 things, it proposed delaying research under the original 

 proposal pending results of a preliminary study to test certain 

 research approaches contained in the original proposal. The 

 proposed preliminary study involved a reduced take of 3 00 

 Antarctic minke whales during the initial year of research 

 and omitted research on sperm whales. 



To help review Japan's revised research proposal, the 

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provided a 

 copy to the Marine Mammal Commission with a request for com- 

 ments. By letter of 12 November 1987, the Commission advised 

 the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries that, in its view, 

 the revised proposal did not address the concerns raised by 

 the IWC Scientific Committee during review of the original 

 proposal. For example, the proposal did not elaborate on the 

 anticipated contribution to the comprehensive assessment and 

 it did not provide a clear indication of precisely what data 

 would be collected. 



Shortly after providing the revised proposal to the 

 United States in October, Japan submitted it to the IWC 

 Scientific Committee. Japan was anxious to start its research 

 program during the 1987-1988 field season, and it requested 

 that the Committee review the proposal before the end of 

 1987. The request was granted and, on 15-17 December 1987, a 

 special meeting of the Committee was convened in Cambridge, 

 England, for that purpose. Representatives for the United 

 States, including the Marine Mammal Commission, participated 

 in the meeting. Among other things, the revised proposal was 

 considered in light of the criteria in the Resolutions adopted 

 by the IWC for special permits at its 1986 and 1987 meetings. 

 Participants in the meeting were of differing views concerning 

 whether the proposed research program satisfied those criteria; 

 however, representatives of most the nations participating in 

 the meeting shared the view that it did not. A report of the 

 meeting was prepared and submitted to the IWC. 



102 



