IWC

It ended 30 years of what Japan called “research whaling” that had been criticized by conservationists as a cover for commercial hunts banned by the IWC in 1988.

The IWC, originally established in 1913, has the power to set wage and workplace standards for multiple industries.

The Flinders University-based research group calls on the IWC to use the findings to refine the stock delineations of blue whales for conservation and management purposes.

Larger animals can end up towing heavy ropes, buoys or nets for weeks, months or years before their deaths, the IWC added.

The tool is online, but users must have permission from the IWC to access it.