At the 46th (1994) Annual Meeting the IWC adopted the Southern Ocean Sanctuary as another area in which commercial whaling is prohibited. http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/sanctuaries.htm
In the discussion of these permits in the Commission, an additional factor raised is that the catches take place within the Southern Ocean Sanctuary declared by the IWC in 1994 (to which Japan lodged an objection with respect to minke whales). If a Sanctuary is in place, it can be argued that information on improving management of whaling in that region is unnecessary. On many occasions, the Commission has (by majority vote) passed a Resolution urging Japan not to issue a permit for these catches. 何度も、委員会は（多数の投票で）日本にこれらを捕獲する許可を出さないよう 議決を可決しました。
In 2005 a Resolution was passed (30 votes to 27 votes with 1 abstention) that strongly urged the Government of Japan to withdraw its JARPA II proposal 日本政府の調査捕鯨の申し出に対し、強く撤退するように要求する 決議が2005年に可決（30票のうち27票、棄権1票）
Article VIII 2 Any whales taken under these special permits shall so far as practicable be processed and the proceeds shall be dealt with in accordance with directions issued by the Government by which the permit was granted. http://www.iwcoffice.org/commission/convention.htm