About the International Whaling Commission

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is an international body designed to regulate the whaling industry while not depleting whale stocks. Typically the IWC meets once a year in member countries. Over fifty nations are members of the IWC, although membership does fluctuate as countries sometimes choose to leave the IWC, as happened with Iceland in 1992.

History

The International Whaling Commission was set up in Washington, D.C., in 1946 under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. Its purpose was to provide for "the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry." Since the 1970s, there has been a shift in practice from one of maintaining population counts while still allowing whale hunting to a general opposition to commercial whaling.

Function

While the primary function of the IWC is the conservation of whale stocks and regulation of the whaling industry, the IWC also designates sanctuaries, provides for the protection of certain species of whales, determines the opening and closing of whale season, as well as designates the areas for allowable whaling and the number of whales that can be taken. Additionally, they fund research on whale population, methods of increasing population and the humaneness of certain methods of whaling.

Significance

Perhaps the most significant outcome that the IWC has been responsible for is the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling. The moratorium initially called for a 10-year ban on commercial whaling in order for whale stock counts to recover, although that ban is still in effect today. While the moratorium has certainly had a positive impact on whale populations, countries like Japan do still participate in whaling for scientific purposes. Other countries like Norway and Iceland have opted out of the moratorium and begun commercial whaling again. According to a report from the BBC, estimates show that more than 25,000 whales have been killed by Japan, Norway and Iceland since the moratorium took hold.

Considerations

The IWC has come under fire with statements that while they were created with the objective of regulating the whaling industry, they are enforcing an anti-whaling agenda. The IWC has become divided with pro-whaling countries like Japan, lobbying for a lift on the whaling moratorium, believing that whale counts have recovered sufficiently. Staunch anti-whaling countries like the UK and New Zealand, meanwhile, are attempting to recruit more anti-whaling countries into the IWC so that Japan will not get the three-quarters vote majority in order to make commercial whaling legal again.

Effects

The effect of the current political divide within the IWC has meant that the 1986 Moratorium has yet to be lifted. The IWC are trying to break the stalemate between pro-whaling and anti-whaling nations, as seen by recent closed meetings hosted by the U.S., attempting to reach an agreement with Japan. The IWC had also drawn criticism from some conservation groups who believe that they should be devoting more time on ocean conservation and regulating whale watching. To that effect, the IWC has drawn up guidelines for whale watching as well as future plans for research on the scientific effects of whale watching vessels on populations.