TECHNICAL REPORTS OF THE ICR INSTITUTE OF CETACEAN RESEARCH No. 4 December 2020 TEREP-ICR is published annually by the InsƟtute of Cetacean Research. ISSN: 2433-6084 Copyright © 2020, The InsƟtute of Cetacean Research (ICR). CitaƟon EnƟre issue: InsƟtute of Cetacean Research. 2020. Technical Reports of the InsƟtute of Cetacean Research (TEREP -ICR) No. 4. The InsƟtute of Cetacean Research, Tokyo, Japan, 79 pp. Individual reports: ‘Author Name’. 2020. ‘Report Ɵtle’. Technical Reports of the InsƟtute of Cetacean Research (TEREP- ICR) No. 4: ‘pp’-’pp’. Editorial correspondence should be sent to: Editor, TEREP-ICR The InsƟtute of Cetacean Research, 4-5 Toyomi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0055, Japan Phone: +81(3) 3536 6521 Fax: +81(3) 3536 6522 E-mail: [email protected] TEREP-ICR is available online at www.icrwhale.org/TEREP-ICR.html Cover photo: Stereoscopic microscope used for age determinaƟon based on counƟng of earplug growth laminae (top); capillary sequencer ABI SeqStudio used for DNA sequencing analysis (middle); ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer used for age determinaƟon based on racemizaƟon analysis (boƩom). Copyright © 2020, The InsƟtute of Cetacean Research (ICR). TECHNICAL REPORTS OF THE INSTITUTE OF CETACEAN RESEARCH TEREP-ICR No. 4 The Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (ICR) Tokyo, 2020 Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (2020) pp. i Foreword It is a pleasure for me to introduce the fourth issue of the Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (TEREP- ICR-4). Following the change in Japan’s whaling policy last year, the ICR has been designing and implemen�ng whale research programs based on non-lethal methods. In the North Pacific, ICR scien�sts have contributed to the design and implementa�on of na�onal dedicated sigh�ng surveys and of the IWC-sponsored Pacific Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research (POWER) surveys. In the Antarc�c, ICR scien�sts designed the new program called ‘Japanese Abundance and Stock structure Surveys in the Antarc�c’ (JASS-A), and the first survey under this program was completed successfully during the 2019/20 austral summer season. In addi�on, ICR scien�sts commenced the collec�on of biological samples and data based on whales caught for commercial purposes in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone since 1 July 2019. Consistent with its stated objec�ves, TEREP-ICR describes and reports on the process, progress, and results of techni- cal or scien�fic research, or the state of technical or scien�fic research programs conducted by the ICR, including those commenced recently. ICR scien�sts were preparing for their par�cipa�on in several na�onal and interna�onal mee�ngs planned for 2020. Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic affec�ng the world, these mee�ngs were either cancelled or replaced by virtual mee�ngs (or e-mail discussions), and our scien�sts par�cipated in those virtual mee�ngs and discussions as much as possible, given the circumstances. Similar to previous TEREP-ICR issues, TEREP-ICR-3 was widely distributed to approximately 120 individual scien�sts from Japan and 30 foreign countries. It was also distributed to approximately 190 research ins�tu�ons (including uni- versi�es, research ins�tutes, public libraries, museums and aquariums), both in Japan and foreign countries. As a result of dissemina�ng informa�on on ICR’s research ac�vi�es through the TEREP-ICR, an increasing number of interna�onal scien�sts are showing interest in conduc�ng research in collabora�on with the ICR. Based on this, I believe that TEREP- ICR is making contribu�on toward achieving its stated objec�ves. Furthermore, TEREP has been a good opportunity for our scien�sts to compile and summarize their research, conducted over the years, as a prior step before submi�ng their works for peer-review publica�ons. Finally, I am pleased to announce that the reports published in TEREP are now indexed in the Japan Science and Tech- nology Agency’s J-GLOBAL, which aims to link, expand and spark scien�fic informa�on in Japan and the world. I sincerely hope that this fourth issue of the TEREP-ICR will con�nue to contribute to an increased understanding of the technical and research ac�vi�es conducted by the ICR among the na�onal and interna�onal scien�fic communi�es. Dr. Yoshihiro Fujise Director General ICR Tokyo, December 2020 i Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (2020) pp. iii Editorial Welcome to the fourth issue of the Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (TEREP-ICR-4). This issue contains eight technical reports and one commentary ar�cle. We con�nue with the series of reports sum- marizing the research findings on whales and the ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific sector of the Antarc�c. This �me, Tamura and colleagues focus on the findings of the ecological research on whales and their environment. Outlines of two impor- tant whale research programs, including results of the latest surveys, are included in this issue. Isoda and colleagues ex- plain the program ‘Japanese Abundance and Stock structure Surveys in the Antarc�c (JASS-A)’, while Matsuoka explains the IWC-sponsored program ‘Pacific Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research (IWC-POWER)’. The basic concept of gene�c tagging, and its applica�on for abundance es�mates in whales, are explained in the reports by Taguchi and Takahashi, respec�vely. Works on earplug-based age determina�on and the es�ma�on of biological parameters have con�nued, based on the samples and data collected during the former whale research programs under special scien�fic permit. This �me, Bando and Maeda show the results of age determina�on and biological parameter es�mates of North Pacific sei whales. The first Note by Goto and Oikawa describes Japan’s system for monitoring of whale products sold in its domes- �c market through DNA registra�on, and the second Note by Konishi and colleagues focuses on the preliminary results of satellite-monitored tracking of Antarc�c minke and fin whales during the first JASS-A survey. In the commentary ar�cle, Yasunaga presents his views on the use of lethal and nonlethal techniques for the research of large whales. This fourth TEREP-ICR issue also includes sec�ons to outline the contribu�on of ICR scien�sts to interna�onal meet- ings in 2020, as well as their contribu�on in terms of peer-reviewed publica�ons up to December 2020. I hope you will find this fourth issue informa�ve and useful. Dr. Luis A. Pastene Editor TEREP-ICR Tokyo, December 2020 iii Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (2020) p. v Contents Foreword i Editorial iii Contents v Technical Reports Tamura, T., Matsuoka, K., Yasunaga, G. and Pastene, L.A. What do we know about whales and ecosys- tem in the Indo-Pacific region of the Antarc�c? Part 2: summary of ecological studies 1 Isoda, T., Katsumata, T., Tamura, T., Matsuoka, K. and Pastene, L.A. An outline of the Japanese Abun- dance and Stock structure Surveys in the Antarc�c (JASS-A) including results of the first survey under this new research program 12 Matsuoka, K. An outline of the IWC-Pacific Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research (IWC-POWER) including results of the 2019 survey 23 Taguchi, M. Gene�c tagging technique: basic concept and a case study by the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research 35 Takahashi, M. Use of gene�c data for abundance es�mate purposes: a brief review of methods and case studies by the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research 41 Bando, T. and Maeda, H. Progress in the research on earplug-based age determina�on and biological parameters of North Pacific sei whales at the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research 48 Technical Reports-Notes Goto, M. and Oikawa, H. Japan’s system for monitoring of whale products sold in its domes�c market through DNA registra�on 54 Konishi, K., Isoda, T. and Katsumata, T. Satellite-monitored tracking of Antarc�c minke and fin whales under the first JASS-A survey in the 2019/2020 austral summer season 57 Commentary Yasunaga, G. Comments on the use of lethal and non-lethal techniques in the studies of large whales 59 Interna�onal mee�ngs 61 Peer-reviewed publica�ons 62 v Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (2020) pp. 1–11 Technical Report (not peer reviewed) What do we know about whales and ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific region of the Antarc�c? Part 2: summary of ecological studies Tsutomu Tamura*, Koji Matsuoka, Genta Yasunaga and Luis A. Pastene Institute of Cetacean Research, –4 5 Toyomi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104–0055, Japan *Contact e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The Ins�tute of Cetacean Research conducted whale research under special scien�fic permit in the Antarc�c star�ng from the austral summer season 1987/88. The research was conducted systema�cally under different research programs such as JARPA and JARPAII, and more recently, under NEWREP-A. These research programs employed both lethal and non-lethal methods. NEWREP-A ceased a�er the 2018/19 austral summer season as a consequence of Japan’s decision to withdraw from the Interna�onal Conven�on for the Regula�on of Whal- ing. Japan’s whale research con�nues in the Antarc�c, using non-lethal methods only. This paper summarizes the most relevant ecological outputs from Japan’s whale research under special scien�fic permit in the Indo- Pacific region of the Antarc�c. the most relevant ecological outputs from Japan’s whale INTRODUCTION research under special scien�fic permit in the Indo-Pacific Japan conducted systema�c research on whales and the region of the Antarc�c.