Topic Synopsis
Hello! My name is Alison Chen, and I’ll be your head chair for MVHS’s 31st
conference. As a junior, I am in my third year of MUN. At school, I also play in our
orchestra, serve as co-president of HOP, or Help Our Planet, a club I started with a
friend last year, and participate in Key Club and the Drawing Smiles Club. In my free
time, other than eating and sleeping, I enjoy listening to music, sketching, reading,
going on walks and runs, and watching the news and reruns of crime TV series with
my brother. I have quite an interest in environmental topics and issues, so I’m truly
excited to lead the UNEP committee at our conference this year and hear the
innovative ideas and solutions you come up with. Good luck with your research!
UNEP, Whaling
I.
Background
Industrial whaling emerged around the world in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. Whales were hunted and harvested for their meat, oil, and bones. By the
1930s, nearly 50,000 whales were being removed from the oceans annually, and
populations were significantly threatened, unable to reproduce anywhere near the
rate they were being killed. In response, the International Convention for the
Regulation of Whaling was signed in Washington, D.C. in 1946, establishing the
International Whaling Commission (IWC). This commission proceeded to pass a
moratorium, or ban, on international commercial whaling in 1986. All whaling
activity was effectively forbidden for all members of the IWC, with the exception of
aboriginal populations who relied on whales for sustenance and nations operating
under permits granted for scientific purposes. However, nations that object to the
moratorium are not bound to its stipulations, and many others have found ways to
continue whaling over the years under the guise of obtaining samples for scientific
research. Recently, in 2010, a lift on the whaling ban was brought up at an IWC
meeting, but the moratorium is currently still firmly in place.
Countries with an extensive history in whaling tend to have cultural ties to
the practice and an economic stake in it as well. Many of them are inclined to
continue to support unrestricted whaling and an end to the moratorium. That being
said, for the great majority of the world, whale meat is not the only food they can get
their hands on nor is it the only means of financial income they can access. Yet largescale whaling comes at a great cost not only to whale populations themselves, but
also other organisms that interact with them, whether prey, predator, or a tiny
barnacle hitching a ride. Thus, the United Nations became involved in this ongoing
issue in order to preserve the biodiversity of the planet and prevent the extinction
of whales.
II.
UN Involvement
The UNEP has played a role, although somewhat limited, in helping the international
community address whaling issues since the late 1900s. Spurred on by public
concern, it worked alongside the FAO and other organizations from 1978-1983 to
create the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation, Management and Utilization of
Marine Mammals (MMAP). Under MMAP, a framework for policies of marine
mammal conservation has been established. Regional and national action plans for
conservation, including research and monitoring and the creation of protected
marine areas have also been created. The IWC adheres to MMAP and is a partner of
the UNEP. In June 2013, the United Nations finally received the opportunity to
directly take action in a whaling dispute and mediate the matter through its
International Court of Justice. In the case Whaling in the Antarctic, Australia is
bringing charges against Japan, accusing it of continuing to whale commercially and
concealing its transgression under the façade of conducting scientific research.
Currently, the ICJ is still deliberating on its ruling.
III.
Possible Solutions
Explore methods by which countries that are not bound by the whaling moratorium
can be persuaded and swayed towards limiting or ending their commercial whaling
without intruding on their national sovereignty. Consider whether or not the
current standing ban on whaling should be altered in any way and if any
compromises should be made. Examine the loophole of “scientific research” that has
been used by various nations to continue their commercial whaling ventures and
better prevent such incidents from slipping through in the future. Keep in mind that
the UNEP views the preservation of whales around the world with the utmost
importance.
IV.
Bloc Positions
1.
Asian Bloc: Whale hunting and consumption is part of the cultures of many
coastal or islands nations, including Japan and South Korea. Japan, in particular, has
attracted international attention over its continued whaling activities.
2.
Latin American Bloc: Members of this bloc have collectively spoken out
against lifting the ban on whaling.
3.
African Bloc: No African countries are actively whaling any longer. Some
coastal nations are members of the IWC, but a majority of the bloc is not.
4.
Middle Eastern Bloc: This region is not at the heart of the issue, as no
countries in the area conduct whaling. Only one nation is a member of the IWC.
5.
Western Bloc: A majority of western nations do not participate in commercial
whaling, with a handful of exceptions in the Nordic Sea region.
V.
Guiding Questions and Helpful Links
1.
Is your country a member of the IWC? Do they participate in whaling? If so,
what kind and to what extent?
2.
Is the right for countries to conduct whaling as they please a matter of
national sovereignty, or is it an international issue?
3.
Should the moratorium on whaling be lifted? Is there a middle ground to be
reached?
4.
What can be done to encourage countries to decrease or cease their
commercial whaling?
http://www.unep.ch/regionalseas/home/mmapover.htm
http://iwc.int/home
http://www.cms.int/about/intro.htm