The International Whaling Commission (IWC) begins its 70th meeting in Hobart, Australia, this weekend, with whale conservation, commercial whaling and the growing threats facing whale populations expected to dominate discussions.
Delegates from the IWC’s 89 member governments will consider proposals on issues including ship strikes, accidental catches in fishing gear and whale welfare. One of the key proposals is the creation of a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary, which would provide additional protection for whales in the region. The meeting also comes 40 years after the IWC’s commercial whaling moratorium came into effect. Commercial whaling remains a divisive issue within the Commission, with Japan, Norway and Iceland continuing to hunt whales under their respective positions on the moratorium. Iceland is also considering legislation that could permanently prohibit commercial whaling from 2027.
Alongside the debate over whaling itself, scientists and conservation groups are expected to highlight the wider pressures on whale populations, including climate change, pollution, underwater noise, ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. The meeting runs until 2 October, with decisions potentially shaping international whale-conservation policy for the coming years.
