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We're at COP28 to Save the Whale, Save the World.

We’re at COP28 to save the whale, save the world

Ed Goodall Ed is WDC's head of intergovernmental engagement. He meets with world leaders to...
Gray whales from drone.

We’re taking steps to uncover the mysteries of whales

Vicki James Vicki is WDC's protected areas coordinator, she helps to create safe ocean spaces...
We must protect our non-human allies. Image: Tom Brakefield, aurore murguet, johan63

We’re urging governments to protect all of our climate heroes – CITES

Katie Hunter Katie supports WDC's engagement in intergovernmental conversations and is working to end captivity...
The Natütama Foundation are dedicated to protecting endangered river dolphins. Image: Natutama

Guardians of the Amazon: protecting the endangered river dolphins

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Amazon river dolphins. Image: Fernando Trujillo/Fundacion Omacha

Amazon tragedy as endangered river dolphins die in hot water

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin © Mike Bossley/WDC

WDC in Japan – Part 3: Restoring freedom to dolphins in South Korea

Katrin Matthes Katrin is WDC's communications and campaigns officer for policy & communication in Germany...
Wintery scene in Iceland

Seeking sanctuary – Iceland’s complex relationship with whales

Hayley Flanagan Hayley is WDC's engagement officer, specialising in creating brilliant content for our website...
Whaling ship Hvalur 8 arrives at the whaling station with two fin whales

A summer of hope and heartbreak for whales in Icelandic waters

Luke McMillan Luke is WDC's Head of hunting and captivity. Now that the 2023 whaling season...

WTO rules that animal welfare trumps trade

On Thursday, 22nd May 2014, the World Trade Organisation upheld  the European Union’s ban on the import of seal pelts, oil and meat on moral grounds. Canada and Norway had previously challenged the ban.

The fundamental point of this ruling is that trade issues cannot trump concerns over animal welfare and conservation.

The ruling comes at a time when WDC is calling on the EU to move to formally stop EU seaports and airports acting as transit points for Icelandic and Nowegian whale meat. Currently the EU is reviewing the legal situation with regard to this trade, but early indicators have suggested that they have been concerned that trade committments would override animal welfare and conservation issues.

Many EU states have agreed with WDC and have been arguing with the EU Commission that EU law on the protection of whales should allow them to stop this illicit trade from abusing the hospitality of EU ports.

The WTO’s Appellate Body ruling also agreed that the EU’s ban on seal products is necessary to protect public morals as spelled out in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

The EU ban contains exceptions for Canada’s indigenous Inuits and Inuvialuit peoples from the northern province of Nunavut, who argue that the market for their seal products has been seriously affected by the overall embargo. Greenland’s Kalaallit hunters are also exempt. Their homeland is an autonomous territory of EU member Denmark, but is not part of the 28-nation bloc.

Canada and Norway said Greenland’s exemptions were unfair to non-indigenous hunting communities and that the scale of Greenland’s hunt was comparable to commercial sealing.

This last claim is interesting in that, within the IWC, Norway supports Greenland’s move to more commercial whaling in an attempt to blur the lines between commercial whaling and the IWC’s recognised Aborginal Subsistance Whaling (ASW).

This strategy has seen a huge set back in the recent International Court of Justice ruling on so-called ‘scientific whaling’, where the ICJ ruled that there were no exceptions to the IWC’s recognsied whaling of commercial whaling, ASW, and Article VIII (sceintific) whaling, and that there was no such intermediate whaling as argued for by Norway.

You can help WDC in our campaign to stop the use of EU ports by the whalers!