The Whaling Regime

1
The Whaling Regime
2
Whaling

• Whale Products
• oil
• whalebone and baleen
• meat
• Whaling History
• Vikings and Basques
• 18th century US and Britain largest whaling
  fleets
• Early 20th century tragedy of the commons

3
The International Whaling Commission (IWC)

• International Convention for the Regulation of
  Whaling (1946)
• -to provide for the proper conservation of whale
  stocks and thus make possible the orderly
  development of the whaling industry
• Established the IWC
• -whaling and non-whaling states can be members
• -15 member states until about the 1970s
• -Schedule regulates global catch quotas length
  of whaling season partial moratoriums.
• - 3/4 majority to amend the Schedule
• -members can lodge and objection to amendments
  in the Schedule and thereby not be bound by these
  amendments

4
Effect of IWC
5
From Management to Conservation

• Depleted whale stocks
• US, New Zeeland stopped whaling
• NGO campaign against whaling
• 1972 Call for moratorium on commercial whaling

6
US Unilateralism

• The Pelly Amendment to the Fishermens Protective
  Act (1971)
• - Import restrictions on international fishing
  operations which diminish the effectiveness of an
  international fishery conservation program
• Secretary of Commerce certifies that a state is
  diminishing the effectiveness of the IWC
• 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act
• Peru, Chile, South Korea, and Taiwan Non IWC
  members certified under the Pelly amendment

7
US Multilateralism

• Increase IWC participation of whaling states
  close to the US Peru, Chile, South Korea,
  Taiwan..
• Increase IWC participation of non-whaling states
  Seychelles, Antigua and Barbuda Oman, Kenya,
  Egypt
• Convert pro-whaling states Argentina, Uruguay,
  Australia

8
Commercial Whaling Moratorium

• Adopted in 1982in effect since 1986-87
• Japan, Peru, Norway, Russia objected
• All but Norway withdrew objection
• Iceland left IWC in 1993
• Aboriginal whaling allowed US (45), Russia
  (170), Greenland (127), St. Vincent
  Grenadines(3)

9
Norway

• Objected the Moratorium
• 1987-temporary halt on commercial whaling
• Research to assess NE Atlantic minke whale stock
  (approx. 86,700 animals). IWC Scientific
  Committee confirmed Minke whales can be harvested
  sustainably
• Certified under Pelly Amendment (4 times)
• Resumed whaling 1993
• 549 northern minkes 2001
• 674 northern minkes 2002

10
Iceland

• Withdrew in 1992, but did not whale since
• Back in the IWC in 2001
• Entered objection to the moratorium
• State intent to resume whaling in 2006

11
Japan

• Hunts whales for scientific purposes
• 400 minke annually in the Antarctic some
  endangered whales (e.g. 50 sei whales)
• Sells meat on the market

12
Estimates of Whale Stock
13
Future of the Moratorium?

• Irish proposal (1998) allow whaling only in
  exclusive economic zones (not in deep ocean)
  only for domestic consumption
• 2003 IWC resolution 2520 for conservation and
  against lifting the ban