 | Main function |  | |
| The main duty of the IWC is to keep under review and revise as necessary the measures laid down in the Schedule to the Convention which govern the conduct of whaling throughout the world. In addition, the Commission encourages, co-ordinates and funds whale research, monitors and provides advice to the Commission on whalewatching, publishes the results of scientific research and promotes studies into related matters such as the humaneness of the killing operations. |
| Objectives | | |
| The main objective of the Commission is to establish a system of international regulation to ensure proper and effective conservation and management of whale stocks. These regulations must be "such as are necessary to carry out the objectives and purposes of the Convention and to provide for the conservation, development, and optimum utilization of whale resources; must be based on scientific findings; and must take into consideration the interests of the consumers of whale products and the whaling industry." |
| Strategies | | |
Regulations are adopted by the IWC through amending the Schedule to the Convention. The Convention permits the adoption of regulations that are aimed at managing whale stocks by determining:- protected and unprotected species
- open and closed seasons
- open and closed waters, including the designation of sanctuary areas
- size limits for each species
- time, methods, and intensity of whaling (including the maximum catch of whales to be taken in any one season)
- types and specifications of gear and apparatus and appliances which may be used
- methods of measurement
- catch returns and other statistical and biological records
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| Geographic Coverage | | |
| Legal Framework | | |
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed in Washington DC on 2 December 1946.
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