Posted on behalf of Anjali Nayar
Next week nations will decide whether to allow commercial whaling for the first time in a quarter decade.
At the meetings of the International Whaling Commission in Agadir, Morocco, delegations will discuss a new proposal that removes the international ban on whaling for a decade, but could potentially offer more protection to whales through lower quotas and better monitoring of whaling activities.
Whaling was banned in 1986, after many whale species plummeted to near extinction. But three countries that are party to the IWC – Japan, Norway and Iceland – continue to hunt whales. Norway and Iceland filed objections to the moratorium, and Japan continues under the pretext of scientific research. Around 2000 whales are still caught each year by IWC members, says Douglas Butterworth, a professor in applied mathematics at the University of Cape Town, who uses mathematical models to develop management procedures for whales. “It’s certainly less than in the early 1980s, but it’s not a trivial number.”
The new proposal, the culmination of many months of talks, was unveiled by the IWC on April 22 – Earth Day – in hopes of creating some middle ground between opposing countries. But there are still several points of contention, such as whether whaling should be allowed in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, a 50 million square kilometre whale conservation area off the coast of Antarctica, put in place by the IWC in 1994, or to what extent the international trade should be allowed.
Anti-whaling countries, such as New Zealand and Australia, have objected to the “disappointing” proposal. Australia’s Minister of the Environment even made a video to publicize the issue. Other nations, like the United States, seem more willing to compromise.
The big question for most people is whether Japan will be willing to make concessions. Japan currently catches between 500 and 1000 whales per year (mostly minke whales) and it is unclear whether the country will be willing to reduce their catch and stop whaling in the Southern Ocean. It is the only IWC country that continues to whale on the high seas.
“Japan holds the key, Japan has always held the key,” says Susan Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group. “If Japan is willing to leave the Southern Ocean, in this, the International Year of Biodiversity, then I think the governments can reach an agreement.”
Most people agree the current situation has to change, but how remains to be seen in both open and close-door talks ending June 25th.
“The status-quo is not good for conservation,” says Lieberman, adding she’s hoping governments can reach a compromise. “We are hopeful, but it is a guarded optimism.”