The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was set up under the International
Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed in Washington DC
on 2 December 1946.
The main duty of the IWC is to keep under review and revise as necessary
the measures outlined in the International Whaling
Convention which govern the conduct of whaling throughout the world. In
addition, the Commission encourages, co-ordinates and funds whale research,
publishes the results of scientific research and promotes studies into related
matters such as the humaneness of the killing operations.
The IWC established a Scientific Committee to provide the information on
which to make such determinations as total catch, length of seasons, species
to be protected, and areas to be closed to whaling.
In 1976 a New Management Procedure was adopted to regulate hunting according
to determinations of "maximum sustainable yield" that could be supported
by various whale stocks. These efforts failed to protect whales, and in 1982
the IWC decided to support the recommendation of the Stockholm Conference
for a general moratorium on whaling.
In 1979 the IWC adopted a proposal that the Indian Ocean be made a whale
sanctuary.
The IWC is an observer to the UNEP Marine Mammal
Action Plan.
Visit the IWC website
