Highlights and images for 26 September 2024

The penultimate day of the meeting started with a magnitude 4.4 tremor that set the chandeliers dancing. With delegates jolted fully awake by this event, they considered the report on work completed over the last biennium by the Scientific Committee (SC)—“the jewel of this Commission,” as one delegate described the SC. The report’s long list of accomplishments included: launching the Communication Initiative; conducting assessments; managing the whaling catch database; developing Conservation Management Plans (CMPs) for priority species/stocks; running the IWC-Pacific Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research Programme (IWC-POWER); providing advice for national cruises; and much more.

The SC was hailed for its “ability to navigate financial challenges while maintaining the quality of its work.” Many delegates reiterated the need to increase the budget of the SC instead of cutting it. In a landmark moment, the SC elected Lisa Porter (UK) as the new Chair and Aimée Lang (US) as Vice-Chair, marking the first time both positions have been occupied by women, as several contracting governments pointed out.

At the start of the afternoon sessions, delegates considered the proposed Schedule amendment for the creation of a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary and five proposed resolutions. Consensus was lacking on the proposed Schedule amendment, so Brazil requested a vote. The proposal failed to pass, with 40 countries voting in favor and 14 opposed, missing the 75% requirement by a single vote.

On the proposed resolution on food security, Ghana stated that consensus was not currently feasible and that work would continue intersessionally, with an intent to resubmit at IWC-70. Antigua and Barbuda reported a similar outcome for the proposed resolution on implementation of a conservation and management program for the orderly management and development of the whaling industry.

Two proposed resolutions were approved by consensus: one on cooperation with the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR); and one on synergies between the IWC, the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the United Nations agreement on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). The proposed resolution on international legal obligations in commercial whaling activities passed by majority vote.

Although some IWC members were clearly disappointed with the outcome on the Schedule amendment, Acting Chair Gales kept the focus on process, congratulating them “on the respectful manner in which we conducted our debate.”