Toward a Sustainable Whaling Regime Book

Toward a Sustainable Whaling Regime examines the international management of whales and whaling, a subject of intense controversy involving some of the most powerful nations in the world and issues of international law and negotiation, human rights versus animal rights, traditional and emerging values and morality, and the role of science in environmental management. The conflict centers on the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the majority of whose members favor continuing the current whaling moratorium, while a minority endorse a sustainable-use approach to whaling which would allow the controlled hunting of species whose populations are not threatened. Both sides adhere strongly to their core beliefs and claim moral correctness; abundant suspicions and accusations have made meaningful dialogue nearly impossible. Because of the impasse, the IWC is unable to attract new members (while some 60 states take cetaceans in their near shore waters, the IWC has only about 40 member states) and some--notably Canada and Iceland--have left the Commission. This book considers how to develop an international environmental regime that represents a consensus of most world peoples so that its rules will be obeyed; which allows for sufficient variance from universal norms so as not to disadvantage indigenous peoples and other small-holders; which illustrates how to properly use science to provide the basis of a sustainable whaling regime; and which demonstrates sufficient civility in negotiation to promote cooperation on other, perhaps more important, environmental issues.Read More