International politics and the protection of great whales

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Abstract
The history of international efforts to regulate the whaling industry has been characterised by uncertainty and conflict as well as co‐operation. Before the passing of a moratorium on commercial whaling in the 1980s, attempts at catch regulation failed as the short‐term interests of the whaling industry prevailed. With the advent of green politics, however, a gradual but steady normative transition took place as the International Whaling Commission (IWC) increased in size and shifted in function. This shift provides a fascinating study in the regime dynamics of international organisation, and comments on human‐nature relations as well. However, the present state of the regime is troubling for whale preservationists as whaling states remain intent on a return to commercial whaling; Norway will begin small‐scale whaling in 1993; Iceland has withdrawn from the IWC, and the biggest problem facing whales ‐ habitat destruction ‐ is yet to be addressed in a meaningful way. Yet, the symbolic power of the whale may provide ecologists with some weapon for the latter task.

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