From Cartel to Conservation and on to Compassion: Animal Welfare and the International Whaling Commission

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has, in the many years since its inception, gradually increased its interest in animal welfare. This reflects a change in philosophy driven by ethical and moral considerations, rather than the science-based considerations of conservation. The evolution of this shift is reviewed, as well as the relative influences of other nongovernment organizations. The failure of efforts to widen the welfare interests of other international instruments, such as CITES, is noted, along with the evolution of international law regulating whaling. Relevant issues include secondary killings, and aboriginal hunting rights.