The International Whaling Commission

1057 Words3 Pages

Captain Paul Watson once stated in his guide to environmental conservation, "Environmental activists may be a nuisance and a pain in the ass to the established authorities of the present. However, to the establishment of the future, we will be honored ancestors."(Watson, Earthforce) Today that very same man is on the run, hiding out in international waters, from the very same authorities he mentions. Captain Watson’s words could not be truer when it comes to the issues surrounding international commercial whaling. A once lucrative industry around the world, overfishing of the whale population globally has led to the near extinction of many species. Most of the earth's population does not even know about a war going on in the Southern Ocean. In fact, most may not even be able to point out the Southern Ocean on a map. The waters surrounding Antarctica, maybe the most treacherous in the world, are the hunting grounds for Japanese commercial whaling vessels, known as the Southern Ocean. Few venture into these waters, with even fewer coming out alive, but the whalers are not alone. Conservation groups make the trip south for the sole purpose of stopping the hunting of whales. There is one major problem when it comes to both groups clashing in these waters. Both claim to have the law on their side.
It was not until 1946 that fifteen nations around the globe came together to sign the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. A main goal of the convention was the formation of The International Whaling Commission, or IWC. The first major step in the whaling industry, The IWC was set up to provide proper conservation and regulation of whale stocks. Since that time the IWC has come a long way. With almost ninety nations now...

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