Natural Resources: International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling

Summary

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed over 60 years ago in Washington DC. The preamble to the Convention states that it was concluded ‘to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry’. The Commission therefore has a dual mandate of both the conservation of whale stocks and the management of whaling. The importance of basing decisions on scientific advice is also engrained in the Convention. At the time of its first meeting in 1949, all but one of the fifteen members were whaling nations. Today, large whales are taken by only seven of the current membership of 88 countries and very different views exist among the members regarding the acceptability of killing whales. This presentation will provide background information on the IWC (including the role of science and an overview of current activities) and describe how the organization interacts and co-operates with other international regimes, and especially with the Antarctic Treaty System. The presentation will also highlight the challenges now facing the organization, particularly given the differing views on the acceptability of whaling. In discussing how these challenges are being or may be addressed, the author will focus upon those aspects that may have relevance to the development and implementation of international governance systems for living resources into the future.

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