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What international legislation/conventions are in place to protect whales or restrict whaling?

A 'moratorium' on commercial whaling was put in place in 1982 after a majority vote by members of the IWC. This came into effect from the 1986 coastal and the 1985/86 ocean whaling seasons.

This moratorium brought the catch limits for commercial whaling to zero.

The IWC says there were a number of difficulties involved in this decision.

"These included difficulties in agreeing what catch limits to set for non-protected species (due to scientific uncertainties in the information needed to apply the management procedure then in place) and differing attitudes to the acceptability of whaling," the Commission said.

"The wording of the moratorium decision implied that with improved scientific knowledge in the future, it might be possible to set catch limits other than zero for certain stocks.

"The IWC has been striving since then to establish guidelines for limits, but due to a number of political and scientific reasons it has not been put in place, and the moratorium is still technically in place."

At the 2003 meeting, the IWC did not adopt a proposal by Japan for an interim relief allocation of 50 minke whales to be taken by coastal community-based whaling.

As Norway has lodged objections, it has exercised its right to set national catch limits for its coastal whaling operations for minke whales.


Whaling sanctuaries

There are whaling sanctuaries in the Indian and Southern Oceans.

An Indian Ocean Sanctuary was established by the IWC in 1979 and the Southern Ocean Sanctuary was later adopted as another area in which commercial whaling was prohibited.

There have been pushes for further sanctuaries in the South Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans, but neither effort has attracted sufficient support among the IWC nations.

The IWC has this to say about Japan's scientific whaling program in the Southern Ocean.

"The Commission has repeatedly requested contracting parties to refrain from issuing special permits for research involving the killing of whales within the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, has expressed deep concern at continuing lethal research within the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, and has also recommended that scientific research involving the killing of cetaceans should only be permitted where critically important research needs are addressed," the IWC said.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/24/2607111.htm

What does Australia want?

The Australian Government supports an end to all commercial and scientific whaling.

Before the 2007 election Australia said it would take Japan to an international court over whaling. In late June 2009 it was still considering its options.

Australia wants to turn the IWC into a conservation body, while Japan and other whaling nations want to use the body to find sustainable catch limits for whales.

"The nations of the South Pacific strongly support the establishment of a sanctuary to protect great whales in their region. A South Pacific Whale Sanctuary will complement existing whale sanctuaries in the Southern and Indian Oceans," the Australian Government says in a fact sheet.

"The South Pacific is home to all species of great whales found in the Southern Hemisphere. They are blue, fin, sei, southern right, humpback, Bryde's, minke, pygmy right and sperm whales. There are many good reasons to protect these marine creatures, which are still being killed for commercial gain under the guise of 'scientific' whaling."


What does Japan want?

Japan wants to be able to continue its whaling operations under the guidelines applying to scientific whaling. It insists that its scientific whaling program is genuine.

The Institute of Cetacean Research is the main source of comment from Japan on the subject of whaling. The Institute says decisions in the IWC should be based on scientific findings, international law and respect for cultural diversity

"Japan's policy on whaling, its position in the IWC and its whale research programs have been the subject of criticism, much of which is based on misunderstanding and misinformation," the Institute says.

"The purpose of Japan's research is science. Science that will ensure that when commercial whaling is resumed it will be sustainable."

Iceland and Norway also want the resumption of commercial whaling.


What do environmental groups want?

Greenpeace is campaigning to ensure Japan, Norway and Iceland do not succeed in lifting the ban on whaling (the moratorium).

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society declares its mission to be: "to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species."

Ships from the Sea Shepherd society have been involved in controversial and sometimes violent action against Japan's whaling fleet to try and stop its operations. Japan has called the Sea Shepherd's actions criminal.

The society says it is the only organisation in the world that enforces the regulations protecting whales.

The captain of the anti-whaling ship the Steve Irwin, Paul Watson, was arrested in Portugal on an outstanding 30-year-old arrest warrant in late June, 2009. The arrest was in relation to allegations he had rammed a whaling ship. He was released after being held for just four hours.