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The results of the vote to overturn the ban on commercial whaling are in.
The International Whaling Commission’s convention in Morocco, complete with 88 member nations meeting for debate and negotiations over the future of the whaling ban, ended with one conclusion: there isn’t one.
A mother whale and her calf hauled aboard a whaling ship. (Photo from the Brisbane Times.)
A deadlock between pro- and anti-whaling nations has led to frustration and anger on both sides of the debate at the IWC’s inefficacy, with the ultimate resolution being a postponement of the vote for another year.
The ban on commercial whaling remains in place, but has possibly become even weaker due to pro-whaling countries threatening to withdraw from the Commission altogether, thus releasing them from being bound by any regulations.
Anti-whaling countries, such as Australia, are preparing to take the issue over the authority of the IWC and take Japan to an international court over whaling practices in protected Antarctic whale breeding waters.
The ultimate question that must be asked is: are the whales safe, now that the whaling ban remains intact?
The answer is, unfortunately, far from simple.
While the result of the convention has preserved the whaling ban and successfully prevented the moratorium from being lifted, frustration with the IWC is at an all-time high, and it is likely that many nations will resort to escalation in their whaling practices.
The vote is now postponed for one year, and it is now more essential that the push is made for a strengthening of the ban, rather than maintaining the status quo.
It is clear that the whaling ban needs a major overhaul; the ability to enforce regulations is extremely weak and is riddled with loopholes, which has allowed Japan to increase illegal hunting by disguising the practice as research.
A Japanese whaling ship claims they are collecting tissue samples from a hunted whale. Whale meat for sale in supermarkets has been tracked to these "research" whaling ships. (Photo Credit: greenpeace.org)
The only solution is an all-or-nothing approach: the ban must either be strengthened and enforced so that all must abide by its decisions, or it must be eliminated. The latter option is a losing scenario for whale populations, as once the ban is lifted, it has historically been proven that whaling countries will exceed quotas and under report catches.
This is supported by the fact that whaling nations have, in anticipation of the reversal of the ban, have begun developing more consumer products derived from whales, such as golf balls, “eco-friendly” laundry detergent, hair dye, and more. Japan has also begun preparations to purchase its largest whaling ship in history.
It should be clear now, then, that the only way to truly save the whales is to strengthen the ban to the fullest extent possible.
The current resolution to maintain the current flawed ban only serves to encourage whaling nations to take advantage of loopholes even further. While this remains a preferable alternative to reversing the ban entirely, it does little to prevent whale populations that are already on the brink of extinction from being wiped out.
A hunted fin whale. (Photo Credit: In Defense Of Animals)
The battle is far from over, and whales are still at risk of extinction from illegal hunting.
The fact that the whaling ban has not been overturned is a small victory, but it must be emphasized that the ongoing debate is becoming more heated than ever before, and the push to end whaling must strengthen in response.
Again, I encourage you to join the anti-whaling efforts of many nations and organizations by visiting the following links. The future of whales is still undecided, but our ability to make a difference must not be underestimated.
Please look into the efforts of the following groups and see how you can continue to make a difference:
