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"Global consumption of fish has doubled since 1973, and the developing world has been responsible for nearly all of this growth. Countries with rapid population growth, rapid income growth, and urbanization tend to have the greatest increases in consumption of animal products, including fish products, and the developing world has experienced all three trends. China, where income growth and urbanization have been major factors, dominates consumption of fish products. It accounted for about 36 percent of global consumption in 1997, compared with only 11 percent in 1973. India and Southeast Asia together accounted for another 17 percent in 1997, with total consumption doubling since 1973. Although total fish consumption declined somewhat in developed countries, this decline was dwarfed by increase in the developing world" (Ahmed et al., 2003).
Whaling
Trading Regulations
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora regulates the export and import of endangered plants and animals between countries. All species under this regulation fit under three categories: Appendix I, Appendix II, and Appendix III. Appendix I includes species threatened by extinction; export and import permits (distributed by the Management Authority of the State) are required. Appendix II includes species in which trade must be controlled against utilization which threaten survival; only export permits are required in this group. Appendix III includes species that are protected by at least one country which has asked for assistance regarding trade; export permits and certificates of origin are required for such species. Cetacean species under Appendix I include the bowhead whale, right whale, humpback whale, roqual whale, grey whale, pygmy right whale, sperm whale, beaked whales, bottle-nosed whales, dolphins, river dolphins, and porpoises. All other species of whales are listed under Appendix II.
Problems with the Whaling Situation
Commercial Whaling
Objections to any decision made by the IWC can be raised, provided that it be done within ninety days of notification of the decision, in which case other countries will have further time to object. Both Norway and Iceland currently continue with their commercial whaling industry under claims that the decision to set zero catch limits adversely affect respective national interests and thus do not apply. However, such objections were not made until years after the decision was made by the IWC; therefore, legal issues exist regarding this disregard of the moratorium.
However, studies commissioned by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA) have shown that demand for whale meat is very minimal in Iceland and Norway. In addition, regulations set by CITES should prevent the export of whale meat to other countries - consumption of whale products should be limited to the country in which the whale was hunted; Japan, the country with the leading demand for whales, would not be allowed to import any whales. With this combination, Iceland and Norway should have no reason to continue with their commercial whaling endeavors.
Scientific Whaling
Despite the zero catch limit set by the IWC, individual nations can still issue scientific permits that allow the lethal hunting of whales for research purposes. The right to issue such licenses are under the control of each nation and override any other Commission regulation, including the moratorium and sanctuaries. Currently, only Japan, Iceland, and Norway are utilizing this right to kill whales for scientific research. Accusations have been made by several third-party organizations, stating that these permits have been used as a loophole to the IWC moratorium and that the whales caught during such research are being killed for commercial use. Japan has denied such claims.
Subsistence Whaling
Several aboriginal communities that depend on whale meat for nutrition have been allowed to hunt whales, with catch limits set by the IWC. An Aboriginal Whaling Scheme will be established and will comprise the scientific and logistical aspects of the management of all aboriginal fisheries.
Works Cited
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. (2007). The CITES Appendices. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.cites.org/eng/app/index.shtml
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Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. (2007). Appendices I, II, and III. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml.
International Fund for Animal Welfare. (2006). 82% of young people in Iceland never eat whale meat. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=178538.
International Fund for Animal Welfare. (2007). Iceland signals an end to its commercial whaling enterprise due to lack of consumer demand. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http:///www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=220372.
International Whaling Commission. (2007). Commission Information. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.iwcoffice.org/commission/iwcmain.htm.
International Whaling Commission. (2007). Scientific Permits. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/permits.htm.
International Whaling Commission. (2207). Whale Population Estimates. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/estimate.htm.
International Whaling Commission. (2007). Whale Sanctuaries. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/sanctuaries.htm.
Muller, George C. (2007). Timeline of Commercial Whaling. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www.cgeorgemuller.com/timeline.htm.
The World Fisheries
"In 2000, the FAO stated that 72% of the world's marine fish resources are either fully exploited or in decline. This state of overexploitation has led to practices in cascade fishing, where smaller, immature individuals or different stocks of lesser value and quality replace the former stocks that existed in higher trophic levels. Thus, leading to the current declining trend in fish harvest from high-value demersal fish to lower-value pelagic fish" (Duke).
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Ahmed, M., Delgado, C.L., Meijer, S., Rosegrant, M.W., Wada, N. (2003). The Future of Fish: Issues and Trends to 2020. International Food Policy Research Insitute and WorldFish Center. Retrieved 18 November 2007, from the World Wide Web: http://www.ifpri.org.
Duke University. Mining vs. Farming: The International State of the Fisheries. Retrieved 17 November 2007, from the World Wide Web: http://www.biology.duke.edu/bio217/2002/fish/state.html.
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