The International Whaling Commission - IWC

The IWC has published new General Principles for Whale Watching, a 4-page summary that forms part of a wider package of IWC work to assess and minimise the impacts of whale watching on individual animals, populations and their habitat.

A new IWC survey aims to build a clearer picture of the scale, location and nature of marine seismic surveys conducted for hydrocarbon exploration. The survey will ask government agencies, private companies, research institutions and non-governmental organisations to provide information on survey activity at any point in the next five years.

The IWC is inviting tenders for an Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling survey of international indigenous and human rights instruments. The closing date for responses is 7 April 2023.  

After five busy years, Dr Rebecca Lent has decided to stand down as Executive Secretary in 2023.  The Commission is therefore recruiting for Dr Lent’s successor.

The report of the IWC68 meeting is available now.  This was the first gathering of the Commission for four years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  A combination of sub-committee and plenary sessions, the meeting was held over nine days and the Chair’s Report summarises the discussions and outcomes.