that is relevant for the purposes of the book. Unless I cite an author directly,
references in footnotes or elsewhere are therefore comparably absent in this book.
As the title of the book suggests, the main focus lies on the legal aspect
concerning marine mammals. But it is my view that without understanding the
biophysical and cultural dimensions of marine mammals as well as the interactions
between marine mammals and human societies, the understanding of the current
international legal framework is incomplete. This view was manifested by my past
and ongoing research on marine mammal issues. It is my conviction that in order to
understand the legal framework, one must understand the cultural and social
frameworks, too. Of course, I’m far from being the first and only one having realised
this, but I have yet to come across a strategic, socio-legal assessment of international
law pertaining to marine mammals. Indeed, I would even go so far as to claim that a
cultural forum concerning marine mammals is key for the IWC to overcome the deep
divisions that have marked its existence since it has become clear that a significant
number of states would not support a lifting of the 1982 moratorium.
In order to contribute to a better understanding of marine mammal species and
marine mammals in different cultures, this book takes these elements explicitly into
account. To this end, Chap. 2 provides some basic information on marine mammals.
I have thus compiled information from leading scholars of marine mammal biology
and physiology in order to provide information that make these stunning creatures
better understandable. The underlying question of this chapter is therefore: what are
marine mammals? We thus learn about the life history, their conservation statuses
and what some of their biggest threats are.
With this in mind we turn to Chap. 3, which briefly outlines the social and cultural
relationships between humans and marine mammals. Of course, a small book like
the present cannot do justice to the myriad of facets of socio-cultural interaction all
over the world, so the focus is shifted to some key regions, such as the Arctic, the
North Atlantic, Eastern Canada or a country like Japan. In this chapter we will learn
how perceptions towards marine mammals have changed—or remained—over time
and how in everyday life marine mammals occupy a social role. While drawing from
existing literature, I have incorporated data from my own research all over the world
into this chapter. You, the reader, will thus be happy to learn that you will also find
quite a few pictures here.
Starting with Chap. 4 we turn to the main core of the book. Here we will begin to
find answers to the question ‘what is international marine mammal law’? In fact, the
singular use of the term ‘law’ is probably somewhat deceptive since there is no
coherent body of international law that deals with marine mammals. Instead, we find
scattered legal instruments, frameworks and bodies that in one way or the other deal
with marine mammals. In this chapter we get to know international environmental
law regimes as well as marine mammal-specific regimes of both a global and a
regional character. We get to know cross-species regimes and institutions in which
marine mammals are either explicitly or implicitly considered. Examples are the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the North Atlantic Marine
Mammal Commission (NAMMCO).
1.2 The Structure of the Book
3
references in footnotes or elsewhere are therefore comparably absent in this book.
As the title of the book suggests, the main focus lies on the legal aspect
concerning marine mammals. But it is my view that without understanding the
biophysical and cultural dimensions of marine mammals as well as the interactions
between marine mammals and human societies, the understanding of the current
international legal framework is incomplete. This view was manifested by my past
and ongoing research on marine mammal issues. It is my conviction that in order to
understand the legal framework, one must understand the cultural and social
frameworks, too. Of course, I’m far from being the first and only one having realised
this, but I have yet to come across a strategic, socio-legal assessment of international
law pertaining to marine mammals. Indeed, I would even go so far as to claim that a
cultural forum concerning marine mammals is key for the IWC to overcome the deep
divisions that have marked its existence since it has become clear that a significant
number of states would not support a lifting of the 1982 moratorium.
In order to contribute to a better understanding of marine mammal species and
marine mammals in different cultures, this book takes these elements explicitly into
account. To this end, Chap. 2 provides some basic information on marine mammals.
I have thus compiled information from leading scholars of marine mammal biology
and physiology in order to provide information that make these stunning creatures
better understandable. The underlying question of this chapter is therefore: what are
marine mammals? We thus learn about the life history, their conservation statuses
and what some of their biggest threats are.
With this in mind we turn to Chap. 3, which briefly outlines the social and cultural
relationships between humans and marine mammals. Of course, a small book like
the present cannot do justice to the myriad of facets of socio-cultural interaction all
over the world, so the focus is shifted to some key regions, such as the Arctic, the
North Atlantic, Eastern Canada or a country like Japan. In this chapter we will learn
how perceptions towards marine mammals have changed—or remained—over time
and how in everyday life marine mammals occupy a social role. While drawing from
existing literature, I have incorporated data from my own research all over the world
into this chapter. You, the reader, will thus be happy to learn that you will also find
quite a few pictures here.
Starting with Chap. 4 we turn to the main core of the book. Here we will begin to
find answers to the question ‘what is international marine mammal law’? In fact, the
singular use of the term ‘law’ is probably somewhat deceptive since there is no
coherent body of international law that deals with marine mammals. Instead, we find
scattered legal instruments, frameworks and bodies that in one way or the other deal
with marine mammals. In this chapter we get to know international environmental
law regimes as well as marine mammal-specific regimes of both a global and a
regional character. We get to know cross-species regimes and institutions in which
marine mammals are either explicitly or implicitly considered. Examples are the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the North Atlantic Marine
Mammal Commission (NAMMCO).
1.2 The Structure of the Book
3