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

IWC COMMISSIONERS

Please use our A-Z INDEX to navigate this site