The whaling controversy

Abstract

Since the three moratoria decisions by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1979, 1981 and 1982 (in force 1986) commercial whaling by IWC members has in practice continued and expanded, both in numbers and in species taken -by Norway under two objections to IWC decisions, and by Japan under a conditional objection to a 1994 decision to declare the entire southern ocean as a whale sanctuary and by issuing special permits for what it calls scientific research. While the continuing controversy, between governments (and non-governmental organisations) which continue commercial whaling and those that either never did or have ceased, is well-known (though often poorly understood), there is little agreement among the latter group regarding ways to at least bring any whaling back under international control. Here the author explores some options and expresses his preferences.