A large fin whale. The hunting ban remains in place
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The International Whaling Conference (IWC) blocked at the end of last July, after four days of difficult discussions, a plan that, according to its critics, would have led to the cancellation of the 18-year ban on commercial whaling.
The plan includes a transition period of five years, during which whaling for commercial purposes will be legal, but only along the coasts and with adherence to fixed quotas. In the decision that was finally made, it was determined that this plan will serve as a starting point for the discussion on the subject of whaling supervision in the coming year. However, the decision did not include a proposal intended to bring about a vote on the plan at the next annual meeting of the conference.
William Hogarth, the American delegate to the conference, defined the amended text as a "compromise". According to him, the US is unequivocally opposed to whaling for commercial purposes and the conference must "take strict measures" on the matter.
Japan, one of the countries supporting the hunt, argued on the other hand that the vote is not a good sign for the future. "We do not believe that satisfactory results will be achieved at the next conference," the Japanese Fisheries Authority said in a statement.
The International Whaling Convention banned commercial whaling from 1986, but Japan, a year later, approved a limited quota for research purposes; Environmental organizations called it "disguised hunting for commercial purposes". Norway rejected the ban imposed by the conference, while Iceland resumed hunting last year, for research purposes, after a 14-year hiatus.
For more than a decade, the possibility of establishing a system to supervise hunting quotas has been discussed. According to some officials, since whaling is taking place anyway, it is better to initiate such a system. Many predict that if the impasse between supporters and opponents continues, some countries will choose to act outside the framework of the Whale Conference.
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