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The article discusses a study which reports the sighting of the North Atlantic right whale or Eubalaena glacialis in the Azores on January 5, 2009 travelling in a westerly direction at a constant speed. It says that the right whale was resighted in the Bay of Fundy in September 2, 2009 after being seen in the Azores. It mentions that the whale was detected by land-based observers employed by whalewatching companies. Results show that 1,769 cetacean sightings were recorded. Furthermore, the sighting suggested that the right whale did not remain in or return to the area.

The article discusses the statements issued by participants in the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) held at the Casino Park Hotel in Madeira, Portugal from May 31 to June 12, 2009. The Scientific Committee and the IWC acknowledged that the monitoring of whale meat products implemented by the governments of Norway, Japan and Iceland is outside the competence and jurisdiction of the IWC. The Japanese delegation made the position that whalewatching and small cetaceans are beyond the jurisdiction of the IWC and decided not to provide data on small cetaceans and not to participate in the meeting of the Sub-Committee on Small Cetaceans.