The 61st annual International Whaling Commission meeting will conclude its week long proceedings in Madeira, Portugal today.   The International Whaling Commission (IWC)  was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed in Washington DC on 2nd December 1946.   The purpose of the Convention was to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry“.  The commission, which originally consisted of 17 whaling nations, now has 85 member nations, many of which do not even have coastlines, let alone any connection to whaling.  The IWC has become the political battlefield where pro-whaling nations and anti-whaling nations  fight, recruiting other countries to join and vote with them, promising tsome type of aid or trade in return.  While the IWC has been responsible for some wonderful achievements such as the creation of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, its 1986 moratorium on “commercial” whaling has been anything but a success. 

 I believe it is time to shelve the IWC and create an organisation with authority backed by international treaty.

The IWC is a volutary organisation.  The IWC  is not backed by treaty, and therefore, has no ability to enforce any of its decisions by imposing penalties on member nations.   These nations are free to leave the organisation and declare themselves not bound by it if they so wish, as was done by Norway in 1994, Iceland in 2006, and Canada in 1986.  The Japanese, continue to harvest 1,000 whales per year for “scientific reasons” which is allowed by the commission.  The whales are processed commercially, resulting in the allegation that the Japanese are circumventing the moratorium. 

If the world is truly serious about ensuring the survival of  its whale species, it is time to negotiate  a treaty on the subject.  Almost a quarter century of pretense and deception are enough!
Here is a short video from the Animal Planet show, “Whale Wars”. You can see the Japanese whaling ships have “RESEARCH” painted on them.

And here is a great video of whales in their natural environment (as they should be studied):

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