• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Commercial whaling: Unsustainable, inhumane, unnecessary September 2018 ©EIAimage WeABOUT would EIA like to thank ABOUT EIAAWI EIA UK 62-63 Upper Street, Ximporae.We investigate Ut aut and fugitis campaign resti utagainst atia WeThe investigate Animal Welfare and campaign Institute againstis a London N1 0NY UK nobitenvironmental ium alici blacrime cone and consequam abuse. environmentalnonprofit charitable crime andorganization abuse. T: +44 (0) 20 7354 7960 cus aci oditaquates dolorem volla founded in 1951 and dedicated Our undercover investigations Our undercover investigations E: [email protected]@eia-international.org vendam, consequo molor sin net to reducing animal suffering expose transnational wildlife crime, expose transnational wildlife crime, eia-international.org fugitatur, qui int que nihic tem caused by people. AWI engages with a focus on elephants and with a focus on elephants and asped quei oditaquates dolorem policymakers, scientists, industry, tigers, and forest crimes such as tigers, and forest crimes such as volla vendam, conseqci oditaquates and the public to achieve better EIAAWI US illegal logging and deforestation for illegal logging and deforestation for dolorem volla vendam, consequo treatment of animals everywhere— PO900 Box Pennsylvania 53343 Avenue, SE cash crops like palm oil. We work to cash crops like palm oil. We work to molor sin net fugitatur, qui int que in the laboratory, on the farm, in WashingtonWashington, DCDC 2000920003 USA safeguard global marine ecosystems safeguard global marine ecosystems nihic tem asped quei oditaquates commerce, at home, and in the wild. T:T: +1 (202)202 483 337-2332 6621 by addressing the threats posed by addressing the threats posed dolorem volla vendam, consuo molor E:E: [email protected]@eia-global.org by plastic pollution, bycatch by plastic pollution, bycatch sin net fugitatur, qui int que nihic eia-global.orgawionline.org and commercial exploitation of and commercial exploitation of tem asped que n nes ape verrovid whales, dolphins and porpoises. whales, dolphins and porpoises. maximolorera doles magni tet ea Environmental Investigation Agency Finally, we reduce the impact of Finally, we reduce the impact of voluptas enis as de evel ipsam (UK) Ltd. Company Number: 7752350 climate change by campaigning climate change by campaigning dolendit, voluptam endusci psunto VATEnvironmental Number: Investigation440569842. AgencyRegistered UK. to eliminate powerful refrigerant to eliminate powerful refrigerant quibusandit, sitaque enture inCompany England Number: and Wales 7752350 VAT Number: greenhouse gases, exposing related greenhouse gases, exposing related 440569842. Registered in England and illicit trade and improving energy illicit trade and improving energy Wales efficiency in the cooling sector. efficiency in the cooling sector. 2 ©Aqqa Rosing-Asvid ©EIAimage CONTENTS Executive summary 4 Commercial whaling before 1986 moratorium 5 Commercial whaling since 1986 moratorium - Norway 6 - Iceland 8 - Japan 12 Problematic trade in whale products 16 Growing anthropogenic threats to great whales 19 Inhumane hunts 20 Whales as ecosystem engineers 21 Recommendations 22 3 Executive summary The shameful history of commercial Iceland continue commercial whaling. whaling is well documented. An estimated Japan allows the sale of whale products 2.9 million whales were killed during the despite claiming that its whaling in the 20th century, decimating global whale Antarctic whale sanctuary and North populations. Sperm whales, for example, Pacific are for scientific research; Norway were reduced to about 30 per cent of their lodged an objection to the moratorium pre-whaling population and blue whales which allows it to continue commercial by up to 90 per cent.1 Some estimates whaling;4 and Iceland has a disputed indicate that total biomass of large whales reservation to the moratorium, which was reduced to less than 20 per cent of it has used to justify commercial catch pre-commercial whaling levels.2 Given quotas since 2006. The three countries the significant amount of illegal and have killed 38,539 whales since 1986, when unreported whaling, even higher levels of the moratorium went into effect.5 depletion are likely. Propped up by government subsidies and The moratorium on commercial whaling support, commercial whaling in the 21st enacted by the International Whaling century flies in the face of international Commission (IWC) saved several whale environmental agreements while serving species from extinction and allowed no economic or nutritional purpose. It some populations to recover. But more causes suffering to thousands of animals, than three decades later, the great whales deprives the marine environment and and their cetacean cousins – dolphins coastal communities of the multiple and porpoises – face grave and growing ecological and economic benefits that threats from a range of human activities, whales provide and undermines the from climate change to pollution. Over conservation of targeted populations that the past two decades, the IWC has face ever-increasing threats from other increasingly turned its attention to these human activities. It is time for commercial threats and now addresses a wide range of whaling to end and for Contracting cetacean conservation and welfare issues, Governments to the IWC to reaffirm including bycatch, marine debris, ocean the continuation of the moratorium noise and responsible whale-watching.3 and promote to the fullest extent the conservation of all cetaceans. Despite the moratorium on commercial whaling and the promising redirection of the IWC towards a science-based cetacean conservation body, Japan, Norway and 4 ©I.P. Golovlev/MOSCOW Project Above: Fin whales killed by a Soviet whaling fleet Commercial whaling – a history of over-exploitation Commercial whaling took place as early as the ninth Whaling peaked in the 1960s, when an estimated 437,920 century.6 The 1860s, however, are recognised as the animals were killed in the Southern Hemisphere and beginning of the modern commercial whaling era.7 265,315 in the Northern Hemisphere.14 At this time, The introduction of explosive grenade harpoons in Norway, Great Britain, Japan and the Soviet Union were combination with steam-powered ships transformed the hunting in both hemispheres. Other countries involved industry, allowing even the largest and fastest whales included Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, to be caught and transported to shore.8 Originating China, Denmark, France, Iceland, Korea, the Netherlands, in Norway, the harpoon technology soon became New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, widespread. Rapid industrial development fuelled a Spain and the United States.15 In total, 2.9 million whales growing demand for whale oil, considered an important were killed over the course of the 20th century, likely the energy source during the 19th century.9 The introduction largest removal of total biomass of any animal group in of factory ships able to process large numbers of whales human history.16 offshore further increased the efficiency of the industry.10 With rising awareness of the industry’s unsustainability As early as the 1920s, it was recognised that whales and mounting public pressure to end the mass slaughter, were over-exploited and steps were taken to regulate catch quotas were gradually reduced, beginning in the the industry. In the 1930s, the International Council 1960s. With the exception of Japan and the Soviet Union, for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) set up the Bureau the number of whales caught by most countries began of International Whaling Statistics to track catches to decline and the IWC increased its focus on protecting and brought the issue to the attention of the League of whales.17 The hunting of blue and humpback whales was Nations.11 A series of international agreements imposing banned globally in 196618 and the hunting of fin whales limited restrictions on the whaling industry ultimately in the Southern Hemisphere was banned in 1976.19 In resulted in the signing of the 1946 International 1979, the IWC prohibited factory ship whaling (other Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), which than for minke whales) and the Indian Ocean Sanctuary established the International Whaling Commission was established.20 In a landmark agreement in 1982, (IWC).12 Initially a whalers’ club, the IWC continued to IWC members approved a moratorium on commercial sanction the unsustainable commercial whaling industry whaling (to become effective in 1986), which passed with for several decades.13 25 votes in favour, seven opposed and five abstentions.21 5 Commercial whaling since 1986 - Norway In the years preceding the IWC’s adoption initially faced strong criticism from IWC of the moratorium on commercial Contracting Governments, especially whaling, Norway killed an average of 2,000 the United States which threatened to minke whales a year. Norway objected impose sanctions on Norwegian seafood to the moratorium within 90 days of the products.25 However, following bilateral decision, which allowed commercial discussions between the two countries,26 whaling to continue. Norway killed 752 the threat was lifted and Norway minke whales over the next two seasons continued commercial whaling. From (1986 and 1987).22 an initial catch of 157 minkes in 1993, Norway’s commercial whale hunt peaked In June of 1986, US Secretary of Commerce with 763 whales killed in 2014 (see Table Malcolm Baldrige issued a finding

Load more

  28

Copy Link