The International Mismanagement of Whaling

Abstract

The international regulation of whaling has a relatively short history. There was no need for regulation until the mid-1800s, when more efficient methods of whaling began to emerge. The rapid succession of technological developments, such as the invention of the explosive harpoon in 1868 and the factory ship in 1903, led to the depletion of whale resources at an unprecedented rate. In response to growing international concern, the League of Nations acknowledged the problem of whale over-harvest in 1925.1 A preliminary Convention for the Regulation of Whaling was convened in 1931.2 Four years later, the endangered Grey and Right whales received special protection by agreement within the whaling industry. 3 In 1946, the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling4 (ICRW) created the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to establish regulations and oversee the recovery of commercial whale species. The IWC worked to progressively reduce whale harvests, and in 1982 declared a worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling to commence in 1985. 5 In addition, Article