Whales - Facts

International Whaling Commission

A global anti-whaling movement began in the 1970’s, with the hope of saving some of the species of whales that had become in danger of extinction due to the increased whaling by many countries. In 1972, the United Nationals Conference on the Human Environment at Stockholm put forward a proposal that recommended a ten year moratorium on commercial whaling to allow the whale stocks to recover. Its constitution states that its purpose is to safeguard the great natural resources represented by the whale stocks for future generations. The Commission serves to control whaling by protecting certain species, setting up whale sanctuaries as well as placing limits on the numbers and size of the catches. It also prescribed open and closed seasons, stipulated areas for whaling, methods and intensity of whaling as well as the maximum of catch returns.

The International Whaling Commission is a voluntary international organisation that is not backed up by treaty. Its headquarters are in Cambridge, England. It has three main committees – Scientific, Technical, as well as Finance and Administration. The original members consisted only of 15 whale-hunting nations. But since the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, many countries that have no whaling history have joined, such as Switzerland and Mongolia. Some countries, such as the United States, who were previously major whaling forces, become strong supporters of the anti-whaling cause. In the year 2008, there were 82 members of the International Whaling Commission.

The IWC has held annual meetings since 1949, usually in the months of May or June. They are composed of one voting representative, called a Commissioner, from each state party who may be accompanied by experts or advisors. Governments have dominated the IWC since the late 1970’s. These governments are mainly staunchly opposed to the practice of commercial whaling. Non-parties and intergovernmental organisations are allowed to attend the meetings and be represented if they have submitted a written letter to the Secretary thirty days prior to the meeting. Non-governmental organisations that have offices in more than three countries may also attend these meetings.

The Commission sponsors and promotes international research. One major undertaking was numerous ship surveys of Antarctic Minke Whales that took place over 25 years ago. This work has now expanded into a huge research programme of the Southern Hemisphere. Other research work includes the developing and improving of techniques such as acoustic and satellite tracking of whales and the genetic analysis of their populations. Some member governments have started major research programmes which may include the sampling of whales caught under special permits allowed by the Convention.

The IWC adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986, and it has not yet been lifted. It also saw the creation of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in 1994. But after the placing of this moratorium, the Scientific Committee was commissioned to review the whale stocks and develop a system for setting safe catch limits. At the IWC’s meeting in 1991, they submitted their finding that approximately 761,000 Minke Whales could be found in the Antarctic waters, 87,000 in the North East Atlantic and 25,000 in the North Pacific. They noted that with such populations, 2,000 Minke Whales could be harvested annually without endangering the species. But despite this, the Plenary Committee voted to hold the blanket moratorium on whaling, arguing that their evidence and information had not been sufficiently evaluated.

http://www.iwcoffice.org/