Common minke whale a coastal component using three to four small-type sampling vessels – mainly "Taisho Maru No. 28" (47.31 gross tons, 2002–2012), "Sumitomo Maru No. 31" (32 gross tons, 2002–2010), "Katsu Maru No. 7" (32 gross tons, 2002–2012), and "Koei Maru No. 75" (46 gross tons, 2003–2010) – with a total of up to 120 individuals being caught off Sanriku in the spring and off Kushiro, on the Pacific side of Hokkaido, in the fall. This research program continues to the present. Whaling for minke whales off Korea began in the early 1930s, when they were opportunistically caught by vessels targeting larger
Creature of statute Creature of statute A creature of statute (also known as creature of the state) is a legal entity, such as a corporation, created by statute. Creatures of statute may include municipalities and other artificial legal entities or relationships. Thus, when a statute in some fashion requires the formation of a corporate body—often for governmental purposes—such bodies when formed are known as "creatures of statute." The same concept is also expressed with the phrase "creature of the state." The term "creature of statute" is most common to the United States. In the United Kingdom, these bodies are simply called statutory corporations