Scientific Whaling: Special Permits
Article VIII of the Whaling Convention allows countries to engage in whaling for
scientific purposes, regardless of any other decisions. Permits are issued by
the states themselves, not by the International Whaling Commission (IWC):
"... any Contracting Government may grant to any of its nationals a special
permit authorizing that national to kill, take and treat whales for the purposes
of scientific research subject to such restrictions as to number and subject to
such other conditions as the Contracting Government thinks fit, and the killing,
taking, and treating of whales in accordance with provisions of this Article
shall be exempt from the operation of this Convention." Article VIII of the
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
There has been a long history of countries - including the USA - which are no longer engaged in whaling but at one point used permits to "top up" diminishing quotas.
In the Schedule to the Convention (Paragraph 30), the IWC lays down a requirement that relevant information regarding the proposed scientific research -- including the possible effect on the whale stock concerned -- should be presented. However, the IWC has no powers to pass binding resolutions in response to any of this information; it can just note it.
The IWC has also produced guidelines for whaling under special permits, but it cannot control whether or not a scientific permit is issued. If the majority of member Governments do not believe that a particular proposal for whaling under scientific permit meets these guidelines, the only action that the IWC can take is to issue a Resolution asking the proposing Government to refrain or suggest ways of improving the proposal.
The IWC has passed a number of Resolutions requesting Japan to cease issuing permits for "scientific" whaling.
There has been a long history of countries - including the USA - which are no longer engaged in whaling but at one point used permits to "top up" diminishing quotas.
In the Schedule to the Convention (Paragraph 30), the IWC lays down a requirement that relevant information regarding the proposed scientific research -- including the possible effect on the whale stock concerned -- should be presented. However, the IWC has no powers to pass binding resolutions in response to any of this information; it can just note it.
The IWC has also produced guidelines for whaling under special permits, but it cannot control whether or not a scientific permit is issued. If the majority of member Governments do not believe that a particular proposal for whaling under scientific permit meets these guidelines, the only action that the IWC can take is to issue a Resolution asking the proposing Government to refrain or suggest ways of improving the proposal.
The IWC has passed a number of Resolutions requesting Japan to cease issuing permits for "scientific" whaling.
A magnificent sperm whale breaching. In the name of scientific whaling the Japanese killed five sperm whales in 2000. Eight were taken in 2001 and it is expected that ten will be killed in 2002. Photo © IFAW/ R. McLanaghan
