Dr. Brian Luckhurst writes for Ocean Ambassadors:
In a major policy shift, Japan formally announced on December 26, 2018 that it would withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and resume commercial whaling for the first time in more than 30 years.
This decision has been widely criticised by international conservation groups. On a positive note, Japan’s withdrawal will at the same time put an end to its IWC-sanctioned whaling activity in the Antarctic Ocean which has long been conducted under the guise of “scientific research”. A U.S.-based marine wildlife conservation organization (Sea Shepard) declared a “victory” in making the Antarctic Ocean a whaling-free zone after Japan announced its withdrawal. However, Japan has stated that even after its exit from the IWC, it will continue to attend its meetings as an observer and work towards rectifying issues which it considers “dysfunctional” at the IWC.
Japan’s continued involvement with the IWC appears to be aimed at fulfilling a condition set under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, that member states are obliged to “work through appropriate international organizations” for whaling.
Japan will restart commercial whaling in July next year, but will limit its hunting activities to its own territorial waters and its 200 mile exclusive economic zone. Its commercial whaling will apply to species whose abundance has been scientifically verified, such as minke and sei whales. However, international reaction to the announcement was swift in coming - Sam Annesley, Executive Director at Greenpeace Japan said, “The declaration today is out of step with the international community, let alone the protection needed to safeguard the future of our oceans and these majestic creatures. The government of Japan must urgently act to conserve marine ecosystems, rather than resume commercial whaling” (from Japan Times, December 26, 2018). Whales are at the top of marine food chains but many species feed on zooplankton whose abundance is determined by a complex of factors including oceanographic changes brought on by climate change.
Our understanding of the full ecological role of whales in marine ecosystems is limited so conserving marine ecosystems to maintain their ecological integrity in the face of the effects of climate change in our oceans, should be a priority. These efforts should be directed toward the protection of populations of the largest animals which swim in the oceans, not their exploitation.
Dr. Brian Luckhurst previously worked at the Bermuda Dept. of Environmental Protection and currently works as a consultant for the Sargasso Sea Commission.