RECALLING that the Scientific Committee is charged with the task of reviewing the performance of scientific research programmes;

NOTING that the research programme to clarify the stock structure of minke whales in the northwestern Pacific (SC/46/NP1) has been reviewed by the Scientific Committee;

NOTING FURTHER that the full Scientific Committee agreed that all relevant guidelines concerning the proposal, its objectives and research cooperation have been met and that some questions were raised whether the methodology of the programmes was in accordance with the relevant guidelines (IWC/46/4);

NOW THEREFORE,

The Commission ENDORSES the review of the Scientific Committee of the research programme to clarify the stock structure of minke whales in the northwestern Pacific.