THE INTERNATIONAL

 

WHALING COMMISSION

 

  THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION - IWC

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IWC is a voluntary international organization and is not backed up by treaty, therefore, the IWC has substantial practical limitations on its authority. First, any member countries are free to simply leave the organization and declare themselves not bound by it if they so wish. Second, any member state may opt out of any specific IWC regulation by lodging a formal objection to it within 90 days of the regulation coming into force (such provisions are common in international agreements, on the logic that it is preferable to have parties remain within the agreements than opt out altogether). Third, the IWC has no ability to enforce any of its decisions through penalty imposition.

 

 

By virtue of International agreement, by a majority of nations, all whaling is deemed to be pirate fishing. Whales are mammals like humans and dolphins, so that the hunting of whales is strictly speaking, not 'fishing', but taking anything from the sea, except oil and minerals, is termed fishing - as in to find and catch something hidden beneath the waves.

 

In the end, whaling may not be so damaging to whale populations as plastic pollution, where the numbers of agonizing deaths from ingesting single use plastic items and micro plastics could end up being significantly more than with hunting for food.

 

Though, the G20, European Union, nor United Nations will directly fund ocean cleaning devices such as SeaVax. Hence, these countries in-effect, endorse suffering and agony, where they could very easily afford to support such operations.

 

Toxification via bioaccumulation may end up poisoning the humans that eat the whales that they are catching despite the majority of countries thinking it is wrong.

 

Many people think it is wrong to eat the flesh of another living creature, such as vegetarians and vegans. Hence, the topic is objective, because here the meat eaters are the majority. Everyone is entitled to their view, rightly or wrongly. That is a basic Human Right.

 

 

MEMBER COUNTRIES

 

Antigua & Barbuda

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Belize

Benin

Brazil

Bulgaria

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Chile

China

Republic of Colombia

Congo, Rep of

Rep of the Costa Rica

Cote d'Ivoire

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Greenland (Denmark)

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

Eritrea

Estonia

Finland

France

Gabon

The Gambia

Germany

Ghana, Rep of

Greece

Grenada

Guinea, Rep of

Guinea-Bissau

Hungary

Iceland

India

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan - No longer a member, now openly hunting whales for food

Kenya

Kiribati

Korea, Rep of

Laos

Liberia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Mali

Marshall Islands, Rep of

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mexico

Monaco

Mongolia

Morocco

Nauru

The Netherlands

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Norway

Svalbard (Norway)

Oman

Palau

Panama

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russian Federation

San Marino

Sao Tome & Principe

St. Kitts & Nevis

St. Lucia

St. Vincent & The Grenadines

Senegal

Seychelles

Slovak Republic

Slovenia

Solomon Islands

South Africa

Spain

Suriname

Sweden

Switzerland

Tanzania

Togo

Tuvalu

United Kingdom

Uruguay

United States of America

Venezuela

 

 

 

 

 

IWC COMMISSIONERS

 

Contracting Government Adherence Commissioner Appointment
Antigua & Barbuda 21/07/82 Ambassador D. Joseph 22/07/14
Argentina 18/05/60 Minister M.J. Oyarzabal 20/10/16
Australia 10/11/48 Dr. N. Gales 14/06/16
Austria 20/05/94 Dr. A. Nouak 09/08/96
Belgium 15/07/04 Ms S Langerock 16/06/15
Belize 17/06/03 Ms. B. Wade 17/05/06
Benin 26/04/02 Dr A.G. Djihinto 12/09/16
Brazil 04/01/74 Ambassador H.T. Ribeiro 06/10/16
Bulgaria 10/08/09 Ms Y Velina 08/01/16
Cambodia 01/06/06 Mr. H.E. N. Thuok 14/09/09
Cameroon 14/06/05 Dr. B. Emma 29/01/14
Chile 06/07/79 Mr. J. Fernandez 28/06/13
People's Republic of China 24/09/80 Mr. Li Jianhua 06/06/00
Colombia 22/03/11 Ms. A. Ramirez Martinez 11/05/15
Republic of the Congo 29/05/08 Mr. J.A. Kolelas-Ntoumi 21/07/08
Costa Rica 24/07/81 Ms. H. Rodriquez 03/07/18
Côte d'Ivoire 08/07/04 Dr. Z.A. Meite 04/06/15
Republic of Croatia 10/01/07 Ms I Partl 28/11/19
Cyprus 26/02/07 Not notified -
Czech Republic 26/01/05 Mr J. Mach 15/12/15
Denmark 23/05/50 Ms. A.B. Hansen 01/08/19
Dominica 18/06/92 Mr. L. Pascal 10/07/01
Dominican Republic 30/07/09 Mr A Estevez 12/11/18
Ecuador 10/05/07 Ms. M. Munoz 01/08/18
Eritrea 10/10/07 Mr. S. M. Ahmed 02/10/08
Estonia 07/01/09 Mr H. Zingel 19/02/15
Finland 23/02/83 Ms. P. Blankett 03/05/11
France 03/12/48

Mr. C. Payeur

15/04/20
Gabon 08/05/02 Prof. L. White 14/09/14
The Gambia 17/05/05 Mr. M. Bah 23/06/10
Germany 02/07/82 Mr. B. Soentgerath 09/06/20
Republic of Ghana 17/07/09 Mr. E. Mensah 02/01/18
Grenada 07/04/93 Mr. A. Dabreo 10/09/18
Guinea-Bissau 29/05/07 Mr. I. Barros  03/02/15
Republic of Guinea 21/06/00 Mr. D.A. Telivel 12/02/14
Hungary 01/05/04 Mr. Z. Czirak 11/01/11
Iceland 10/10/02 Mr. S. Asmundsson 30/10/17
India 09/03/81 Mr. M.S. Negi 14/11/17
Ireland 02/01/85 Mr. J. Fitzgerald 15/05/07
Israel 07/06/06 Ms R. Oberman 30/06/14
Italy 06/02/98 Mr. R. Rigillo 06/05/14
Kenya 02/12/81 Prof. M.J. Ntiba 23/09/16
Kiribati 28/12/04 Dr A Yeeting 15/01/19
Republic of Korea 29/12/78 Mr. D.Y. Yang 12/01/18
Laos 22/05/07 Dr. B. Khambounheuang 01/10/07

Liberia

 

Lithuania

10/08/18

 

25/11/08

Ms. E.M. Glassco

 

Ms. L. Caplikaite

10/08/18

 

24/02/12

Luxembourg 10/06/05 Mr. C. Origer 10/06/05
Mali 17/08/04 Mr. S. Coulibaly 16/05/08
Republic of the Marshall Islands 01/06/06 Hon. D. Momotaro 03/04/18
Mauritania 23/12/03 Dr. A. M. Jiddou 16/05/11
Mexico 30/06/49 Dr. L. Rojas Bracho 15/07/16
Monaco 15/03/82 Prof. F. Briand 13/06/03
Mongolia 16/05/02 Dr. T. Damdin 02/12/15
Morocco 12/02/01 Mr. Y. Ayouch 28/06/14
Nauru 15/06/05 Hon. M. Dube 17/10/17
Netherlands 14/06/77

Mr. L.J. van der Heiden

22/03/17
New Zealand 15/06/76 Ms. J. Henderson 05/08/19
Nicaragua 05/06/03 Mr. E. Jackson Abella 30/09/16
Norway 03/03/48 Mr. O. D. Stenseth 01/06/11
Oman 15/07/80 Dr. A. Al-Marzouqi 20/11/18
Republic of Palau 08/05/02 Ms V. Dilsils Kanai 21/05/18
Panama 12/06/01

Tbc

 
Peru 18/06/79 Mr. A. Garrido Sanchez 18/04/19
Poland 17/04/09 Mrs. M. Lesz 14/05/09
Portugal 14/05/02 Mr. L.A. de Andrade Freitas 30/07/15
Romania 09/04/08 Dr. D. Cioaca 28/01/19
Russian Federation 10/11/48 Ms. I.B. Fominykh 02/11/15
San Marino 16/04/02 Mr. D. Galassi 10/10/02
Sao Tome & Principe 17/05/18 Ms. A.M. D'Almeida 25/10/19
St Kitts and Nevis 24/06/92 Mr. T.M.X. Williams 03/02/20
St Lucia 29/06/81 Mr. H. Walters 25/08/16
St Vincent & The Grenadines 22/07/81 Sen. E. Snagg 05/03/03
Senegal 15/07/82

Dr M Goudiaby

24/05/15
Slovak Republic 22/03/05 Mr. B. Hrabkovsky 22/10/15
Slovenia 20/09/06 Mr. A. Bibič 20/01/10
Solomon Islands 10/05/93 Ms R. Masu 08/06/20
South Africa 10/11/48 Mr. H. Oosthuizen 10/04/06
Spain 06/07/79 Mr M. Aymerich 11/06/20
Suriname 15/07/04 Mr R Ramkisor 11/07/16
Sweden 15/06/79 Dr J. Hagberg 01/12/15
Switzerland 29/05/80 Mr. B. Mainini 03/06/05
Tanzania 23/06/08 Mr H.G. Mbilinyi 12/01/18
Togo 15/06/05 Dr. A. Domtani 03/11/09
Tuvalu 30/06/04 Mr. P. Nelesone 13/07/04
UK 10/11/48 Dr G. Harper 08/11/16
Uruguay 27/09/07

Dr C Rodriquez Brianza

30/06/15
USA

10/11/48

Mr. R. Wulff (Acting)
09/09/14

 

 

 

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