Institute of Cetacean Research

Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) is a Japanese non-profit organisation that carries out the scientific research into cetaceans. It grew out of the Whale Research Institute (founded 1947) which in turn was an off-shoot of Nakabe Scientific Research Centre (founded 1941). The Whales Research Institute obtained its scientific datas from commercial whaling. ICR was established in response to the 1986 IWC moratorium on all commercial whaling. It has absorbed ships, crew and equipments of a whaling company which now look after the sale of whale meat from the institute.

Whaling critics accuse the institute of being a cover for Japan's commercial whaling industry.

External link

• Institute of Cetacean Research