This year’s annual Scientific Committee meeting will be held at the Hotel Shilla, Jeju from 3 – 15 June 2013 at the kind invitation of the Government of the Republic of Korea. A pre-meeting addressing the Implementation Review for North Atlantic fin whales will take place on 1-2 June.

The IWC Scientific Committee’s role is to provide the best available scientific information and advice to the Commission on matters related to conservation and management of cetaceans. More details of how the Committee works and its place within the IWC system can be found in the Scientific Committee Handbook

A major new development is the IWC's involvement in whalewatching as a sustainable use of cetacean resources.

In 1993, the IWC invited Contracting Governments to undertake a preliminary assessment of the extent, and economic and scientific value, of whalewatching activities.

These reports on the value and potential of whalewatching were consolidated by the Secretariat and considered by a Working Group at the 1994 meeting.

As a result the IWC has reaffirmed its interest in the subject, encouraged some scientific work and adopted a series of objectives and principles for managing whalewatching proposed by the Scientific Committee.