Japan’s objection to paragraph 7(b) of the Schedule has nothing to do with its research program. It simply means that for “commercial whaling”, Japan is not legally bound by paragraph 7(b) as it applies to Antarctic minke whales but is legally bound by the paragraph as it would apply to fin whales. Of course this point is somewhat academic in any event given the zero quotas for commercial whaling set under paragraph 10(e) of the Schedule (commonly referred to as the “moratorium”) and the fact that Japan has withdrawn its earlier objections to that paragraph.