In 1986 commercial whaling was banned worldwide, by the International Whaling Commission(IWC), thanks to an overflow of public support. Now it’s coming into question again whether or not the ban on commercial whaling should be overturned. Activists are desperately pleading with President Obama to stick to his word and uphold the moratorium on commercial whaling.
Whaling, is the hunting of whales mainly for meat or oil. There are various coastal communities that use whaling for sustenance and have a long history of harvesting beached whales. Even though the moratorium, instated by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), has had success in averting the extinction of whales in the past do to over-hunting, the ban on commercial whaling is still a subject for intense debate.
Obama’s Take on Commercial Whaling
Before his election in 2009, while he was still a candidate, President Obama responded to a questionnaire submitted by environmental activists on March 16, 2008 saying “As president, I will ensure that the U.S. provides leadership in enforcing international wildlife protection agreements, including strengthening the international moratorium on commercial whaling. Allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is unacceptable."
Obama’s administration says that it will firmly oppose whaling. Some anti-whaling campaigns suggest that Obama is signaling a tougher U.S. stance on commercial whaling and is set to look at a compromise proposal when the he meets with the IWC in Rome.
Should the Ban on Commercial Whaling be Overturned?
The International Whaling Commission was established in the 1900’s to provide proper conservation of whale stocks making it possible for an orderly development of the whaling industry. In 1946 the IWC passed a moratorium on commercial whaling providing complete protection of certain species of whale including humpback, minke, and baleen whales are only three of the whales this moratorium protects.
American activists don’t want this ban on whaling overturned, and some environmental organizations have gone as far as starting a whaling petition which sole purpose is to see that this moratorium in question continues to be enforced.
Email Barack Obama
More than 26,000 people have sent emails to Obama saying that the ban on whaling will not be overturned. Continuing to protect the ban on commercial whaling was one of the many things promised by President Obama during his candidacy, anti-whaling activists and people alike who are concerned about the future of whales are now calling to action for those promises to be fulfilled.
Sources
- Commondreams.org 2010. "Whaling Commission Purposed Return to Commercial Whaling" Web. (March 13, 2010)
- Iwcoffice.org 2009. "IWC Information" Web. (March 13, 2010)
- Greenpeace.org 2010. "Activsts Call on President Obama" Web. (March 13, 2010)
- Iwcoffice.org 2010. "Small Working Group" Web. (March 13, 2010)
- Washington.com 2010. "Panel Purposes Support for Whaling in Exchange for Limits" Web. (March 13, 2010)
- Iwcoffice.org 2010. "The Schedule of e Convention" Web. (March 13, 2010)
- Tvnz.co.nz 2010. "Obama Gets Tough on Whaling" Web. (March 13, 2010)
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