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Since then we have carried out actions against whalers from Australia, Brazil, Iceland, Peru, Japan, Norway and Spain. Many of these countries now oppose whaling, only Iceland, Japan and Norway continue.
The history of whaling is a history of serial disasters - the depletion of one species after another. Wherever whaling has been practised it has devastated populations of whales.
After commercial whaling drove many whales to the brink of extinction, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) agreed a moratorium on all commercial whaling which took effect in 1986. But whales are still in danger as Iceland, Japan and Norway continue to flout the moratorium.
By taking advantage of IWC loopholes which allows member countries to hunt whales for ‘scientific’ purposes, or by filing objections to IWC decisions and so technically remaining unbound by them, Japan and Norway continue to hunt whales.
A resumption of international trade in whale products would have far-reaching implications. Pirate whalers would have an even greater incentive to hunt whales covertly, as it would become easier for them to smuggle illegal whale meat into Japan.
Even with the current trade ban in place, illegal whale meat from both abundant and endangered species of whales is regularly discovered on sale in Japan.
The history of whaling is a history of serial disasters - the depletion of one species after another. Wherever whaling has been practised it has devastated populations of whales.
After commercial whaling drove many whales to the brink of extinction, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) agreed a moratorium on all commercial whaling which took effect in 1986. But whales are still in danger as Iceland, Japan and Norway continue to flout the moratorium.
By taking advantage of IWC loopholes which allows member countries to hunt whales for ‘scientific’ purposes, or by filing objections to IWC decisions and so technically remaining unbound by them, Japan and Norway continue to hunt whales.
A resumption of international trade in whale products would have far-reaching implications. Pirate whalers would have an even greater incentive to hunt whales covertly, as it would become easier for them to smuggle illegal whale meat into Japan.
Even with the current trade ban in place, illegal whale meat from both abundant and endangered species of whales is regularly discovered on sale in Japan.
We want to save the whales, but we need your help.
