Previous, current and future monitoring and management of common minke whales in Norway

An account of the historical, current and possible future management of common minke whales in Norway is presented. The current management is based on an approach very similar to the International Whaling Commission’s Revised Management Procedure (RMP) and requires historical and current catch statistics, together with new abundance estimates with associated variance estimates every six years. The abundance estimates are based on visual sampling online-transect sighting surveys with two independent observer platforms. These surveys are no longer economically viable with the current limited commercial harvest. Alternative methods for obtaining abundance estimates are discussed, including a simpler sighting survey design and genetic mark-recapture methods. The RMP requires Implementation Reviews desirably every six years, which take into account all new information available. The associated simulation trials are very technical and complex, and few experts have the insight to run these simulation tests. Simpler alternatives to the current Implementation Reviews are discussed. The objective is to develop more economically viable methods for abundance estimation and a simpler procedure for catch limit calculation without compromising the sustainability of the harvest. Any new procedure for abundance estimation and catch limit calculations will be submitted to the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee for discussion.