Sharon Livermore
106,608 signatures against whaling delivered to Japanese embassies
106,608 signatures against whaling delivered to Japanese embassies
Sharon Livermore | 25 October 2024
In May 2024, Japan decided to expand its commercial whaling operations to include the fin whale, a species whose numbers have been already depleted by decades of whaling. In response, IFAW called on the Japanese government to reverse this decision through our petition. In total, we collected 106,608 signatures by 23 September 2024. IFAW teams then delivered the signatures to Japan’s embassies in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Australia.
Japan’s decision not only undermines global conservation efforts, but also has serious animal welfare implications—whaling is cruel and often means prolonged, painful deaths for whales. Commercial whaling is also unnecessary, as there is very little demand for whale meat so the industry is not profitable and exists only because of taxpayer subsidies. Despite this, Japan continues to promote whale meat and support this inhumane industry.
At a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Lima, Peru, in late September, a strong resolution was passed, reminding all commercial whaling nations of their legal obligations in relation to whaling. For Japan, despite having withdrawn from the IWC in 2019, there is a legal duty under the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) to cooperate with the IWC. ‘This rebuke by the whaling commission is a diplomatic shot across the bow of Japan’s continued whaling,’ said IFAW’s Senior Director for Policy, Matt Collis.
Two resolutions proposed by the EU and its member states also passed, urging nations to cooperate more closely with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, also known as 30x30, and the High Seas Treaty, which still has yet to be ratified by many countries.
Japan is one of three countries that continue to engage in commercial whaling despite the IWC’s moratorium on the industry.
Also at the IWC meeting, the establishment of a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary, which would make whaling illegal in these waters, was proposed. But the proposal failed, due to opposition from a pro-whaling minority of nations.
The sanctuary—proposed by Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, and Uruguay—received strong support but not the three-quarters majority required by the IWC. This proposal has arisen at nearly every IWC meeting since 1999, but it has been shut down each time.
IFAW continues to demand that the Japanese government stop hunting fin whales and end the practice of whaling altogether.
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