International Whaling Commission (IWC)
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is a global organization established on December 2, 1946, to regulate whaling and promote the conservation of whale populations. Formed in response to the alarming decline of whale stocks in the 1930s, the IWC initially aimed to ensure sustainable whaling practices among its member nations. Although it began with a mission to foster whale population recovery, over the years, the IWC has faced significant challenges in enforcing its regulations, often becoming a platform for member nations to negotiate over whaling quotas rather than prioritizing conservation efforts.
Membership has grown from the original fifteen charter nations to eighty-nine by 2019, reflecting broader international involvement in whaling issues. In 1982, the IWC enacted a moratorium on commercial whaling, which came into effect in 1986, largely influenced by the declining economic viability of whaling rather than purely environmental concerns. Despite this ban, some nations have continued whaling under the pretext of scientific research, highlighting ongoing tensions within the commission.
In recent years, the IWC has focused on establishing catch limits based on specific areas and species, while designating sanctuaries to further protect vulnerable whale populations. The IWC continues to play a complex role in balancing conservation efforts with the interests of its member states, reflecting diverse views on whaling and marine resource management.
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Subject Terms
International Whaling Commission (IWC)
IDENTIFICATION: International body established to regulate whaling
DATE: Established on December 2, 1946
Although the International Whaling Commission was created to ensure the conservation of whales through the regulation of whaling, it eventually evolved into a forum serving nations primarily interested in weakening restrictions on whaling.
During the 1930s, concerns regarding declining whale stocks and the near extinction of some species prompted efforts to regulate the whaling industries of the world’s nations. These efforts at international cooperation met with little success, but as World War II drew to a close, proponents of regulation pressed for a regulatory framework. In November 1945, representatives of several whaling nations gathered in Washington, DC, for the International Whaling Conference. Although some delegates argued for an agency under the direction of the United Nations, the conference led to the creation of an autonomous organization called the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1946. Great Britain, Norway, the Soviet Union, and the United States were among the fifteen charter nations. Japan joined in 1950, and by 1982 membership had climbed to thirty-seven nations; by 2019, the number was eighty-nine.
The stated mission of the IWC at its establishment was to regulate international whaling to promote the increase of whale stocks, thereby ensuring the continued existence of the lucrative whaling industry. The commission set a whaling season and created sanctuary zones in which whaling was not permitted. Defined in terms of blue whale units (BWUs), the whaling season ended when that year’s quota had been met. However, the IWC was virtually powerless to enforce the regulations it implemented, and it allowed member nations a multitude of opportunities to bypass those regulations. As a result, the IWC’s activities did little to slow the destruction of whale populations during the first several decades of the commission’s existence.
Despite its ineffectiveness, the IWC became an arena of conflict and disagreement among the member states. Because the quota system created a free-for-all environment in which each nation attempted to catch as many whales as possible before the season ended, many nations argued that they did not have an opportunity to catch their fair share of the total number of BWUs available. However, efforts to assign quotas to individual nations proved impossible, as each nation jockeyed for a high percentage of the total at the expense of other nations. Debates grew so acrimonious that the IWC closed its meetings to the public and reporters for a time during the 1960s.
As a regulatory body, the IWC failed to live up to its promise. Quotas were based on estimates of whale populations that were too high. In addition, the commission proved both unwilling and unable to rein in the whaling industries of member nations. In 1982 the IWC voted for an international ban on whaling, which was implemented in 1986. This act reflected the declining economic vitality of the whaling industry more than a concern for the environment or the fate of the whales. As such, the ban came far too late to ensure the survival of many species. After the implementation of the ban, the IWC became more of a forum for nations attempting to circumvent or weaken restrictions on whaling than an organization committed to the preservation of whales. Several nations continued to hunt whales under the guise of scientific research.
In 1994, the IWC adopted the Revised Management Procedure, a process that estimates sustainable catch limits of whales. Several nations, including Norway and Japan, soon expressed their displeasure that what was supposed to be a temporary ban on whaling in order to help whales reach a sustainable population seemed to be turning into a permanent ban. After failing to reach a negotiation with the IWC, Japan withdrew its membership in order to resume commercial whaling in the waters surrounding the country.
In the 2020s, the IWC establishes catch limits, depending on the area and whale species. It designates certain areas as whale sanctuaries to protect females and calves. The IWC also supplies funds for whale conservation.
Bibliography
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Friedheim, Robert L., ed. Toward a Sustainable Whaling Regime. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001.
Heazle, Michael. Scientific Uncertainty and the Politics of Whaling. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2006.
"International Whaling Commission. NOAA Fisheries, 14 Aug. 2023, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/international-affairs/international-whaling-commission. Accessed 17 July 2024.
"Japan Resumes Commercial Whaling after 30 Years." BBC News, 1 July 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48821797. Accessed 17 July 2024.
McCurry, Justin. "Japan to Resume Commercial Whaling One Day after Leaving the IWC." The Guardian, 24 Jan. 2019,www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/25/japan-to-resume-commercial-whaling-one-day-after-leaving-the-iwc. Accessed 18 July 2024.
Stoett, Peter J. The International Politics of Whaling. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1997.
"The Revised Management Procedure." International Whaling Commission, iwc.int/rmp. Accessed 19 Aug. 2019.