Members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) voted in 1982 to ban commercial whaling beginning in the 1985-86 season. Since 1992, the IWC Scientific Committee has unsuccessfully requested that the Commission lift the moratorium and allow quotas for commercial whaling of some species.
Soon after the 1986 moratorium came into effect, Iceland and Japan began what is called ‘scientific whaling’ which is legal. Interestingly, Norway continues to hunt minke whales commercially and legally on the basis that it has lodged an objection to the ban.
The Dana Centre in London sponsored an on-line discussion on scientific whaling on April 6th which can be listened to by clicking here.
It is a long discussion, but worth the listen, particularly to hear Johan Sigurjonsson from Iceland talk about the politics and the science and how for him, there is nothing morally wrong with killing minke whales.
Isn’t the ban on commercial whaling a form of eco-imperialism with countries such as Australia, Britian and New Zealand imposing their will on Iceland and Japan?
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.
Imperialism? “Eco-imperialism”?!?? how?
Worth noting not only that scientific whaling is legal, but also why Japan actually does it, and why it commenced the research programmes at roughly the same time as the imposition of global zero catch limits.
I’ve started a Whaling FAQ to record just such information:
http://whaling-faq.blogspot.com/
(Iceland’s scientific objectives bear some similarities to those of Japan’s research programmes).
Eco-imperialist? In my opinion a ridiculous word.
Whaling nations are imperialistic in that case hunting whales in international waters outside their EEZ,s.
Ann,
There is nothing imperialisitc about it at all, everyone in the world knows that the ICRW is recognised as the convention under which whaling in international waters is conducted.
I don’t hear any nation calling for the abolishment of the ICRW, not even the anti-whaling ones that disagree with it’s content.