Institute of Cetacean Research

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Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) is a Japanese non-profit organisation that carries out the scientific research into cetaceans. It grew out of the Whale Research Institute (founded 1947) which in turn was an off-shoot of Nakabe Scientific Research Centre (founded 1941). The Whales Research Institute obtained its scientific datas from commercial whaling. ICR was established in response to the 1986 IWC moratorium on all commercial whaling. It has absorbed ships, crew and equipments of a whaling company which now look after the sale of whale meat from the institute.

Whaling critics accuse the institute of being a cover for Japan's commercial whaling industry.

Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) is a Japanese non-profit organization specializing in the biological and social sciences related to whales. It grew out of the Whales Research Institute (founded in August 1947) which in turn developed from the Nakabe Foundation for Whale Science (founded in April 1942). The ICR came into being in October 1987 as a foundational juridical person whose legal status is authorized by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.

The ICR is dedicated to a wide range of cetacean research, including the following activities:

WHALE RESEARCH PROGRAMS. Biological research including the collection of samples from the Antarctic and the North-western Pacific under special permit from the Government of Japan (JARPA and JARPN II Programs). Samples are used for studies related to estimation of biological parameters, resource abundance, elucidation of stock structure and the role of whales in the marine ecosystem, and elucidation of the effect of environmental changes on cetaceans.

SIGHTING SURVEYS. Conducted in the Southern Hemisphere and the North Pacific to elucidate trends in abundance, density, distribution, and behavior of whales. These surveys include the International Whaling Commission Southern Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research (SOWER) Program.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESEARCH. Conducted to document and clarify the relationship of man and whales from the social, cultural, historical, economical, and dietary culture aspects.

LEGAL RESEARCH. Conducted with the objective of promoting normalization of IWC activities in line with the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) object and purpose of sustainable utilization of whale resources.

OTHER CETACEAN RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY ICR: (1) Development of a whale products distribution surveillance system using genetic techniques including the creation of a database for the determination of species and place (sea area) of origin, and establishment of individual identification techniques; (2) Development of age assessment techniques using age characters, including chemical analysis; (3) Research on biotelemetry technology development using artificial satellites; (4) Research on natural marks identification; (5) Research on the bioaccumulation of heavy metals and environmental chemicals such as organic chlorine compounds; (6) Research concerning improvement and development of whale capture/killing techniques; (7) Collection and analysis of marine mammal stranding records on the coast of Japan.

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