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Campaigning at the International Whaling Commission

Keep the whaling ban in place

What does the International Whaling Commission do?

The IWC is the decision making body of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. The various governments that are members of the IWC make their decisions through its various meetings and committees, using the IWC secretariat to help manage their discussions and decision making.

The IWC website states that, "The main duty of the IWC is to keep under review and revise as necessary the measures laid down in the Schedule to the Convention which govern the conduct of whaling throughout the world."

How does WDC work with the IWC?

WDC attends the meeting to provide scientific, legal and conservation expertise to government delegates. We work with member nations to equip them with the knowledge and evidence they need to make informed decisions. WDC scientists also take part in research projects on behalf of the IWC, such as in Antarctica.

IWC meeting in Brazil

Which countries are members of the IWC?

The IWC: we've achieved a lot together

Keeping the ban in place: Despite many attempts by the whalers to overturn the moratorium (ban), WDC and other groups have helped ensure commercial whaling has not returned.

Making conservation a priority: Over the years, WDC has helped the IWC has to evolve from simply a meeting of whaling countries, to recognising and tackling a wide range of other related issues that impact whales, from climate change to pollution.

Exposing the whalers: Despite the moratorium, hundreds of whales are still hunted each year. WDC works to expose the horror behind these kills and keep the pressure on the whalers to cease these cruel hunts.

Latest Campaign News

148 more fin whales killed in waters around Iceland

The Icelandic fin whaling season has now ended with a final, grim tally of 148...

Hundreds of whales killed as Norwegian hunt season ends

The end of the whaling season in Norway has been announced with 580 minke whales killed...

Third orca death in 18 months at theme park

Loro Parque tourist attraction in Tenerife, Spain has announced the death of Kohana, a 20-year-old...

Dolphin slaughter in Japan resumes

The annual slaughter of various species of dolphin has begun in the waters around Taiji...

Popular humpback whale is killed by passing ship

A humpback whale popular with whale watchers in waters off California and Mexico has died...
Sperm whale (physeter macrocephalus) Gulf of California. The tail of a sperm whale.

To protect whales, we must stop ignoring the high seas

Almost two-thirds of the ocean, or 95% of the habitable space on Earth, are sloshing...

Iceland to monitor whale hunt cruelty

https://au.whales.org/2022/08/12/iceland-to-monitor-whale-hunt-cruelty/
Tilikum, the father of Nakai. © Paul Wigmore

Orca Nakai dies at SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego has announced the death of the orca Nakai. The 20-year-old male orca...
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin © Mike Bossley/WDC

Last captive Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin to be freed in South Korea

Bibongi, the last Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin held in captivity in South Korea, is to be...

Elusive whale seen alive for the first time

Using DNA evidence, scientists have been able to officially confirm the first live sightings of...
Fin whale

Fin whales return to old feeding grounds in Southern Ocean

An exciting discovery by researchers in the waters around Antarctica suggest that fin whales are...
WDC team at UN Ocean conference

Give the ocean a chance – our message from the UN Ocean Conference

I'm looking out over the River Tejo in Lisbon, Portugal, reflecting on the astounding resilience...