The Scientific Committee has appointed an expert group which, in March 1996, is scheduled to
submit a revised stock estimate based on the counting surveys which were completed in 1989,
and a new stock estimate based on the counting surveys carried out in July 1995.
Norway has committed itself to using the IWC's newly developed quota calculation model in the
management of minke whales. In accordance with this model, the development of the stock is
to be monitored by way of counting surveys every six years. Eleven boats are taking part in this
year's count and there are foreign scientists together with observers on board each of the vessels.
Norway has also committed itself to relate to the prevailing stock estimate from the IWC
Scientific Committee. In connection with this year's harvest, when no valid stock estimate was
available from the Committee, the Norwegian authorities displayed additional caution, reducing
the hunting quota to the extremely low level of 232 minke whales. Last year's quota was 301.
In accordance with the IWC quota calculation model, quotas are allocated for a period of 6 years.
The results of the Norwegian hunts between 1989 and 1995 are far below the quotas which
would have been allowed by the model on the basis of a stock estimate of 75,000 minke whales.
During the 1994 meeting of the Scientific Committee, there was some debate regarding one of
the basic factors involved in the calculation of the estimate, the so-called "detection rate factor".
An expert group was appointed to clarify these problems. The group submitted a report to this
year's Scientific Committee meeting, where it says that agreement has been reached on this point.
The group's conclusions have been incorporated into the Norwegian scientists' revised stock
estimate of 75,000. The Norwegians maintain that the result of these discussions has had little
influence on the stock estimate, and that the reduction from 86,700 to 75,000 is first and foremost
attributable to the programming errors.