The IWC was established in 1946 as the global body responsible for management of whaling and conservation of whales. Today the IWC has 88 member countries. The mandate has not changed but many new conservation concerns exist and the IWC work programme now also includes bycatch & entanglement, ship strikes, ocean noise, pollution and debris, and sustainable whale watching.
Yesterday
The Strandings Initiative Expert Panel has concluded an intensive but successful 3-day workshop in Venice. The workshop focused on two priority areas: emergency response and capacity building.
18 days ago
The IWC Scientific Committee begins its annual meeting today. Due to Covid-19, this is the first time in four years that members of the Committee are able to gather in-person.
22 Mar 2023
In March, a multi-agency team began the field work stage of the project "Franciscana dolphins aerial surveys in Uruguay: overcoming a challenge".
8 Mar 2023
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.
21 Feb 2023
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.
Whaling, conservation & welfare issues including whale watching and small cetaceans.
International Whaling Commission
The Red House, 135 Station Road, Impington, Cambridgeshire, CB24 9NP
+44 (0) 1223 233 971
secretariat@iwc.int
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