International Whaling Commission

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was set up by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling on December 2, 1946 with a headquarters in Cambridge, England. The role of the inter-governmental commission is to periodically review and revise the Schedule to the Convention, controlling the conduct of whaling by setting the protection of certain species; designating areas as whale sanctuaries; setting limits on the numbers and size of catches; prescribing open and closed seasons and areas for whaling; controlling aboriginal subsistence whaling; and other measures.

Related Topics:
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling - December 2 - 1946 - Cambridge - England - Inter-governmental - Whaling

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Each signatory state of the convention is represented by a Commissioner at the IWC. There are currently 66 members. The IWC has three main committees - Scientific, Technical, and Finance and Administration. Meetings are held annually in May or June and are generally extremely divisive - demonstrating a complete split on all major issues between the pro-whaling nations and their supporters and the anti-whaling nations.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The IWC introduced an open ended moratorium on all commercial whaling in 1986. However the Convention grants special permits to allow whale killing for scientific purposes. Since 1986 only Norway, Iceland and especially Japan have been issued with permits, with Japan being the sole permit holder since 1995 as part of their 16-year programme. Norway lodged a protest to the zero catch limits in 1992 and has refused to abide by them. Japan's scientific whaling has often been called a front for the Japanese fondness for whale meat, which is considered a delicacy. However the Japanese culture is opposed to waste and thus pro-whalers justify the commercial selling of the whalemeat since it avoids waste.

Related Topics:
Moratorium - Norway - Iceland - Japan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2003 IWC members adopted the "Berlin Initiative" which called for the setting up a conservation committee to monitor the survival prospects of all cetacean species rather than just the large whale species as it had previously done. Japan says that the Commission was expanding beyond the remit granted it by the 1946 and threatened to withhold part of its membership fee; saying that it could not support the new committee.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2002 in contrast the votes went in the direction of the pro-whaling lobby, when the Commission rejected proposals to specify "whale sanctuaries" - areas where no whale could be hunted for any purpose - in the parts of the South Pacific and South Atlantic.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Current (2005) members are: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, People's Republic of China, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Grenada, Republic of Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Kiribati, Luxembourg, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Senegal, Slovak Republic, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Tuvalu, UK, USA.

Related Topics:
Antigua and Barbuda - Argentina - Australia - Austria - Belgium - Belize - Benin - Brazil - Cameroon - Chile - People's Republic of China - Costa Rica - Côte d'Ivoire - Czech Republic - Denmark - Dominica - Finland - France - Gabon - The Gambia - Germany - Grenada - Republic of Guinea - Hungary - Iceland - India - Ireland - Italy - Japan - Kenya - Republic of Korea - Kiribati - Luxembourg - Mali - Mauritania - Mexico - Monaco - Mongolia - Morocco - Nauru - Netherlands - New Zealand - Nicaragua - Norway - Oman - Palau - Panama - Peru - Portugal - Russian Federation - Saint Kitts and Nevis - Saint Lucia - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - San Marino - Senegal - Slovak Republic - Solomon Islands - South Africa - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - Togo - Tuvalu - UK - USA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~