Scientific Justification for Animal Capture

Abstract

In the News & Analysis story “Court slams Japan's scientific whaling” (4 April, p. [22][1]), V. Morell recounts the recent judgment of the International Court of Justice that the second Japanese scientific whaling program in the Antarctic (JARPA II) shall cease. This decision has given extra weight to a principle that is already contained in most existing scientific and ethical guidelines for research involving the taking of wild animals: Sample sizes (numbers of animals taken) must be justified in advance in relation to the specific objectives of the research. Wisely, the court did not try to answer the broader question of what constitutes legitimate scientific research, but it faulted the absence of explanation or analysis as to how the specified numbers of whales to be caught would have contributed to the objectives of the JARPA II program. The ruling has implications for Japan's whaling program in the North Pacific (JARPN II). An Expert Panel appointed by the International Whaling Commission to review Japan's whaling in the North Pacific, which targeted up to 100 sei whales, 50 Bryde's whales, 220 minke whales, and 10 sperm whales a year ([ 1 ][2]), also noted the absence of a scientific justification for the number of whales killed in relation to quantifiable research objectives ([ 2 ][3]). While not restricting the freedom of scientific research, the International Court of Justice ruling highlights the importance of careful analysis and clear justification of the study duration and of the sample sizes required to meet research objectives, in advance of any take of wild animals. 1. [↵][4] International Whaling Commission, J. Cetacean Res. Manage. 11 (suppl.), 405 (2010). [OpenUrl][5] 2. [↵][6] Government of Japan, “Revised research plan for cetacean studies in the western North Pacific under Special Permit (JARPN II),” Paper SC/56/O1 presented to IWC Scientific Committee, Sorrento, Italy (2004). [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.344.6179.22 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [5]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJ.%2BCetacean%2BRes.%2BManage.%26rft.volume%253D11%26rft.spage%253D405%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text