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♤ The International Whaling Commission is the global intergovernmental body charged with the conservation of whales and the management of whaling with headquarters in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
♤ It was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed in Washington DC on 2nd December 1946
Preamble
To provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry.
♤ Main duty
♤ To keep under review and revise as necessary the measures laid down in the Schedule to the Convention which govern the conduct of whaling throughout the world.
♤ These measures, among other things, provide for the complete protection of certain species; designate specified areas as whale sanctuaries; set limits on the numbers and size of whales which may be taken; prescribe open and closed seasons and areas for whaling; and prohibit the capture of suckling calves and female whales accompanied by calves.
♤ The compilation of catch reports and other statistical and biological records is also required.
♤ In 1986 the Commission introduced zero catch limits for commercial whaling. This provision is still in place today, although the Commission continues to set catch limits for aboriginal subsistence whaling.
♤ As well as keeping whale catch limits under review, the Commission works to promote the recovery of
depleted whale populations by addressing a range of specific issues. These include ship strikes, entanglement events, environmental concerns and establishing protocols for whale watching.