The Scientific Whaling Loophole

Abstract

At the recent International Whaling Commission's annual meeting in Panama, South Korean officials announced their plan to initiate a “scientific whaling” program ([ 1 ][1]). This announcement came as a surprise given the general sentiment that the global demand for whale meat is declining. After weeks of international outcry, on 17 July, South Korea reversed their decision to hunt whales for research, but the issue is not dead ([ 2 ][2]). South Korea claimed that the goal of the scientific whaling program is to study the types and amounts of fish whales eat, given conflict with fisheries. Yet, it is well established in the scientific literature that there are many ways to study whale diet without killing them ([ 3 ][3]). ![Figure][4] CREDIT: LEAH GERBER/ ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY Decades of fruitless negotiation between pro- and anti-whaling nations suggests a broken system, wrought with loopholes that allow unsustainable whaling to continue. Within this broken system, there is no incentive to reduce whaling, as the recent announcement by South Korea shows. Whaling groups are unwilling to compromise by allowing a sustainable harvest of whales, so unsustainable (scientific) whaling continues. To ensure a future of both whales and whalers, we must harness the passion and value that people place on living whales, without telling people what to do or force one set of values on others. We need novel, out-of-the-box approaches to effective management and conservation of whales. We must compromise to ensure reductions in whales being killed, better oversight of countries that harvest them, and limited whaling that does not threaten the persistence of whales. For those who believe that whaling is unethical, I challenge you to put forward alternative ideas to a global moratorium that fosters the “loophole” of scientific whaling. With new plans to develop scientific whaling programs ([ 4 ][5]), the current global moratorium is clearly broken. Scientists, conservation advocates, resource managers, and the public must work together to develop new approaches to ensure the persistence of whales in our oceans. 1. [↵][6] Associated Press, The New York Times, 6 July 2012, p. A7 ([www.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/world/europe/south-korea-whaling-plan-criticized.html][7]). 2. [↵][8] 1. S. Herman , Voice of America, 24 July 2012 ([www.voanews.com/content/south-korea-still-considering-resumption-of-whaling/1444081.html][9]). 3. [↵][10] 1. L. R. Gerber, 2. L. Morissette, 3. K. Kaschner, 4. D. Pauly , Science 323, 880 (2009). [OpenUrl][11][Abstract/FREE Full Text][12] 4. [↵][13] 1. R. Black , BBC News, 5 July 2012 ([www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18719512][14]). [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-3 [4]: pending:yes [5]: #ref-4 [6]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [7]: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/world/europe/south-korea-whaling-plan-criticized.html [8]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [9]: http://www.voanews.com/content/south-korea-still-considering-resumption-of-whaling/1444081.html [10]: #xref-ref-3-1 View reference 3 in text [11]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DScience%26rft.stitle%253DScience%26rft.issn%253D0036-8075%26rft.aulast%253DGerber%26rft.auinit1%253DL.%2BR.%26rft.volume%253D323%26rft.issue%253D5916%26rft.spage%253D880%26rft.epage%253D881%26rft.atitle%253DECOLOGY%253A%2BShould%2BWhales%2BBe%2BCulled%2Bto%2BIncrease%2BFishery%2BYield%253F%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1126%252Fscience.1169981%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F19213900%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [12]: /lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6Mzoic2NpIjtzOjU6InJlc2lkIjtzOjEyOiIzMjMvNTkxNi84ODAiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyNToiL3NjaS8zMzcvNjA5OC8xMDM4LjEuYXRvbSI7fXM6ODoiZnJhZ21lbnQiO3M6MDoiIjt9 [13]: #xref-ref-4-1 View reference 4 in text [14]: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18719512