August 11, 2017: NAMMCO Observation Scheme – update

The 2017 observation focus was Icelandic minke whaling. Two hunting vessels have so far caught 17 whales out of a quota of 269 animals. NAMMCO had an observer stationed in Iceland in June/July, during which time he went out on three hunting trips. Several unsuccessful chases and the catch of two minke whales were observed. Periods of bad weather kept the hunting vessels on shore.

For more information on the NAMMCO Observation Scheme see here.

Like in 2014 and 2015, the Icelandic Directorate of Fisheries continued this season to sample time to death (TTD) data. TTD is the tool and measurement used to assess how fast an animal dies after having been shot.

NAMMCO and the Committee on Hunting Methods have done extensive work in this field resulting in significant improvements. In the Norwegian minke whale hunt the percentage of animals that die instantaneously has increased from 17 % to 82 % and in the Icelandic fin whale hunt the number is 84 %. Here you will find the report of the most recent expert group meeting assessing TTD.