pro-sustainable use countries, particularly from the Caribbean, Africa or the Pacific
may follow suit and leave the IWC altogether. After all, the most vocal and most
powerful—political and economically—champion of the sustainable use of whales is
no longer a member of the Commission. However, as a Japanese official mentioned to
me, Japan supports other states championing the principle of sustainable use to
remain in the IWC. Inevitably, however, the discourse within the IWC will shift
towards an increasingly no-use, preservation agenda. This was underlined by the
2018 Florianópolis Declaration.
Contrary to large whales, small cetaceans do not enjoy the same degree of
structured, international protection. Despite attempts to expand the IWC’s mandate
to include small cetaceans, all of these have thus far been unsuccessful. Indeed, the
WWF calls small cetaceans ‘The forgotten whales’
33 given that they do not enjoy
such international attention or international regulatory framework for their protection. Instead, several regional agreements for their protection have sprung up in the
Mediterranean and Black Seas, Western Africa, the South Pacific, and the North and
Baltic Seas and in the Arctic. While some of these are legally binding, some are not
and states cannot be held accountable in case they do not comply. The Convention
on Migratory Species of Wild Animals serves as the umbrella convention for these
agreements and is thus a key convention for international protection efforts related to
small cetaceans.
Whaling is and will be the source of controversy. In how far the international
whaling regime will develop is impossible to predict. But even though Japan has
now the possibility, and the motivation, to resume commercial whaling, it will do so
based on scientific data. It is doubtful that a new tragedy of the commons, or ruthless
overexploitation of whales, will occur in the future. After all, also whaling states
have learned from the mistakes of the past and given that the demand for whale
products is limited worldwide, I remain hopeful that whales will be around for many
generations to come.
Questions and Research Tasks
1. Determine whether there might be a way to overcome the divide within the
International Whaling Commission.
2. Select one member of the International Whaling Commission and provide
insight on why it joined the Commission and what its line of argumentation
concerning whales and whaling are.
3. Determine whether an international agreement for all whale species would be a
feasible option, what its benefits and disadvantages are, and who could be a
party to it.
4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a global agreement for small
cetaceans.
33 WWF (2009).
5.6 Summary and Conclusion
123
may follow suit and leave the IWC altogether. After all, the most vocal and most
powerful—political and economically—champion of the sustainable use of whales is
no longer a member of the Commission. However, as a Japanese official mentioned to
me, Japan supports other states championing the principle of sustainable use to
remain in the IWC. Inevitably, however, the discourse within the IWC will shift
towards an increasingly no-use, preservation agenda. This was underlined by the
2018 Florianópolis Declaration.
Contrary to large whales, small cetaceans do not enjoy the same degree of
structured, international protection. Despite attempts to expand the IWC’s mandate
to include small cetaceans, all of these have thus far been unsuccessful. Indeed, the
WWF calls small cetaceans ‘The forgotten whales’
33 given that they do not enjoy
such international attention or international regulatory framework for their protection. Instead, several regional agreements for their protection have sprung up in the
Mediterranean and Black Seas, Western Africa, the South Pacific, and the North and
Baltic Seas and in the Arctic. While some of these are legally binding, some are not
and states cannot be held accountable in case they do not comply. The Convention
on Migratory Species of Wild Animals serves as the umbrella convention for these
agreements and is thus a key convention for international protection efforts related to
small cetaceans.
Whaling is and will be the source of controversy. In how far the international
whaling regime will develop is impossible to predict. But even though Japan has
now the possibility, and the motivation, to resume commercial whaling, it will do so
based on scientific data. It is doubtful that a new tragedy of the commons, or ruthless
overexploitation of whales, will occur in the future. After all, also whaling states
have learned from the mistakes of the past and given that the demand for whale
products is limited worldwide, I remain hopeful that whales will be around for many
generations to come.
Questions and Research Tasks
1. Determine whether there might be a way to overcome the divide within the
International Whaling Commission.
2. Select one member of the International Whaling Commission and provide
insight on why it joined the Commission and what its line of argumentation
concerning whales and whaling are.
3. Determine whether an international agreement for all whale species would be a
feasible option, what its benefits and disadvantages are, and who could be a
party to it.
4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a global agreement for small
cetaceans.
33 WWF (2009).
5.6 Summary and Conclusion
123