Whaling "Whale Hunting”

Objectives:1. Describe the function of the "International Whaling

Commission".2. Discuss the history and future of whaling and its

impact on the marine environment

History

• Exploitation and overfishing of whales began in the 1600s.

• hunted for their blubber (used for its oil), meat, and baleen.

History

• 1800s - Whaling efforts increased after the invention of the fast steamship and explosive harpoon.

• 1900s - intensive whaling led to the near extermination of most species of great whales– most of these species are

now endangered (humpback)

International Whaling Commission (IWC)

– voluntary association of some countries established in 1946

– attempt to regulate whale hunting to stop overfishing

– set quotas; but difficult to enforce because some whaling nations did not belong to the IWC or accept low quotas

– all commercial whaling of great whales was banned by the IWC in 1985

International Whaling Commission (IWC)

– some countries continued to whale anyway

– IWC attempted to establish a sanctuary in Antartica in 1994 (main feeding ground for 80% of the great whales)

International Whaling Commission (IWC)

– some countries ignored (mainly Japan and Norway) and continued to whale anyway

– today whale numbers are coming back up; though some scientists believe that certain species may never fully recover