Many whale species have been on the endangered species list for some time, and whale populations have been observed to be relatively sparse for even longer. In 1986, the United Nations International Court of Justice ruled that commercial whaling could no longer take place. In spite of this, Japan continued to hunt whales citing that their whaling practices fell under research purposes, even though the whales were being sold and eaten in Japan. On 31 March 2014, the United Nations International Court of Justice again convened to rule that this use of the loophole was not allowed, as researchers can receive plenty of information without killing the animals, and as most of the hunted whales were sold as consumption goods on the Japanese market. Japan consequently announced that they would finally halt their whaling practices immediately. Thus, at least the bigger whale species like humpbacks, fins, and minke whales will hopefully recover from decimation, as the law does not count for smaller mammals like dolphins and porpoises.
Contributed by Tyler Tegen
Course: Modern Global Environmental History
Instructor: Dr. Wilko Graf von Hardenberg
University of Wisconsin–Madison, US
- Murphy, Sean D. "U.S. Sanctions Against Japan for Whaling." The American Journal of International Law 95.1 (2001): 149-52.
- Hart, S. C. "Whaling in Japan: Power, Politics and Diplomacy." Choice 47.9 (2010): 1772.