Regular 'Implementation Reviews' are required under the rules of the Revised Management Procedure (RMP), the mechanism devised by the Scientific Committee to provide advice on safe catch limits for baleen whales, should the Commission ever decide to reinstate commercial whaling. Where there is no new information to suggest the original trials procedure requires modification, the Implementation Review might be classified as 'light.' A 'light' Review primarily involves incorporation of updated catch data and abundance estimates. The process is different and more in-depth if new information is available that indicates additional 'trials' (see above) are required.
The Scientific Committee agreed a more in-depth Implementation Review was appropriate for North Atlantic common minke whales because the original Implementation pre-dated it's current guidelines. In-depth Implementation Review of North Atlantic fin whales is required because additional information is available on stock structure, and some population models have been revised to better mimic the new data.
It's hoped that the workshop will enable completion of the Implementation Reviews for both species at this year's Scientific Committee meeting, but the complexity of the work means it may not be possible to conclude the fin whale Review until the 2016 meeting.
For more information on the RMP process, click here.