whaling

Iceland's attempt to resume commercial whaling fails

Last edited 23 July 2001 at 8:00am
23 July, 2001

Iceland's attempt to resume commercial whaling immediately were rejected by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in London today.

Iceland wanted to rejoin the Commission with a reservation to the current international moratorium on commercial whaling. Iceland, which quit the IWC in 1992, announced today that it wanted the moratorium on commercial whaling overturned as quickly as possible so whaling can resume.

Today, after a series of votes, the IWC concluded that Iceland will only have observer status during this week's meeting and will not be allowed to vote on key issues, such as the possible resumption of commercial whaling or the establishment of a new whale sanctuary in the South Pacific.

Article tagged as: iceland, IWC, moratorium, oceans, press releases, whaling

The International Whaling Commission (IWC)

Last edited 23 July 2001 at 8:00am
the world is watching - IWC 53The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established in 1946 to "provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks" and "thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry." By that time, the whaling industry had already severely depleted many of the world's great whale populations. Gray, Bowhead and Right whales were already considered commercially extinct. Yet it was not until 1982 that members of the IWC voted to adopt a moratorium on commercial whaling that would take effect in 1986.
Article tagged as: IWC, moratorium, oceans, revised management scheme, whaling

Japan admits buying whaling votes in exchange for aid

Last edited 19 July 2001 at 8:00am
19 July, 2001

Greenpeace today expressed no surprise at the admission by a senior official of the Fisheries Agency of Japan, Maseyuku Komatsu, that Japan has been using overseas aid to secure support for its campaign to have the current international ban on whaling lifted.

The admission comes just a week before the start of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) conference in London (1). IWC countries already recruited by Japan through vote buying include six East Caribbean states, (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis), and Guinea. Panama and Morocco have joined the IWC this year and are also expected to vote alongside Japan.

Article tagged as: antigua and barbadua, IWC, japan, maseyuku komatsu, moratorium, oceans, press releases, vote buying, whaling

World's top airlines refuse to transport Norwegian whale meat and blubber

Last edited 10 July 2001 at 8:00am
10 July, 2001

Twenty one major airlines [1], including British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, KLM and Sabena, have pledged to Greenpeace that they will not carry whale meat and blubber on their aircraft. All British airlines flying out of Oslo, Norway's principal airport, have joined the air blockade. The move comes during preparations by Norway to resume the export and sale of whale meat and blubber to Japan and two weeks before the International Whaling Commission meets in London.

Article tagged as: press releases, whale blubber, whaling

Norway's decision to export whale products

Last edited 9 July 2001 at 8:00am
Can of Whale meat

Can of Whale meat

Article tagged as: norway, whale blubber, whaling

Japan continues to mock science as whaling fleet sets out on third hunt this year.

Last edited 11 May 2001 at 8:00am
11 May, 2001

Ignoring the wishes of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the international body which regulates whaling, the Fisheries Agency of Japan have sent a whaling fleet into the North Pacific to take a self allocated quota of 160 sperm, Bryde's and minke whales. This is the second expanded "scientific" hunt in the North Pacific since the IWC met in July 2000.

Article tagged as: press releases, whale blubber, whaling

Mori poll shows that Eastern Caribbean public supports South Pacific Whale Sanctuary

Last edited 26 April 2001 at 8:00am
26 April, 2001

As Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise, starts a tour of the Caribbean, the results of a MORI poll (1) reveals that people in the Eastern Caribbean support the creation of a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary (SPWS) by a margin of four to one.

People living in the six Caribbean countries (2) that are members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) were asked whether or not those countries should support the establishment of a SPWS. Over half (54%) of the public across the six countries support the Sanctuary, and only 13% oppose it.

Article tagged as: press releases, sanctuaries, vote buying, whaling

How the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary was defeated

Last edited 9 April 2001 at 8:00am
Publication date: 
9 April, 2001

When the International Whaling Commission (IWC) met in Australia, in July 2000, many participants expected it to create a large whale sanctuary in the South Pacific. This sanctuary would have extended the existing Antarctic whale sanctuary, which covers the feeding grounds of the great whales, so that the warmer areas where the whales give birth and raise their young are also protected. The signs were good:

Download the report:
Article tagged as: reports, sanctuaries, vote buying, whaling

Japan buys support for commercial whaling

Last edited 8 April 2001 at 8:00am
Tinned whale meat from Japan

Tinned whale meat from Japan

Article tagged as: japan, vote buying, whaling

The world is watching the economics of whale-watching

Last edited 29 March 2001 at 9:00am
whale eye

whale eye

Whale watching is a $1 billion USD industry, practised in more than 87 different countries and territories world wide, attracting over 9 million boat and land based participants per year. Total whale watching tourism expenditures have grown from an estimated US$ 504 million in 1994 to an estimated US$1,049 million in 1998 and they are continuing to grow.

Article tagged as: caribbean, whale watching, whaling