David @ Tokyo

The IWC Scientific Committee has a page about their Data Availability protocol.

I noticed something curious particularly in this request, which is a

Request for access to samples/data from the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), Tokyo, Japan under Procedure B(JCRM 6 (suppl.) and to the National Research Institute ofFar Seas Fisheries, Japan

The curious thing was one of the names included in the list of scientists requiring access to the ICR data:

(1) T. Polacheck (prinicipal), (2) D. Butterworth, (3) J. Cooke, (4) R. Leaper, (5) A. Punt and (6) T.D. Smith.

The reason for my curiosity was that one of these names in particular also happened to appear in 2005 amongst a list of names of scientists who refused to review the JARPA II research proposal.

Readers who follow the whaling issue closely will probably quickly guess which name it is, and share my curiosity (although those who are very familiar will not be surprised at all).

The list of 63 names can be found in the 2nd appendix of this document.

Curious indeed that one of the scientists who criticises Japan's research also had a need to gain access to their data.

UPDATE 2007/01/07: I've just realised that not one, but in fact two of the names listed above can be found in the list of 63.

The request is also accompanied by the following note on the final page:

NOTE: SUBSEQUENT TO THE PROPOSAL BEING SUBMITTED IT WAS REALISED THAT THE ABUNDANCE ESTIMATES FROM THE JARPA CRUISES WERE ALSO REQUIRED BUT HAD NOT BEEN EXPLICITLY INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL. ICR GENEROUSLY AGREED TO PROVIDE THESE DATA AS WELL

Generous of the ICR, although I imagine that they are more than happy to have their data used by the IWC Scientific Committee. That's the point, after all.

Having said this, one recalls that Claire Bass (another member IWC Scientific Committee, courtesy of the UK government) previously tried to tell me and my readers that the IWC Scientific Committee has "heavily and regularly (ie, for the last 20 years) criticised" the ICR's research. I pointed out the fallacy of this claim in my response to her, here.

"C. Bass" is another name that appeared in the big list of 63.

Labels: Claire Bass, JARPA, Whaling