+ sanctuaries
    southern ocean sanctuary
    indian ocean sanctuary
    south pacific
    south atlantic
 -  whale watching

Whale sanctuaries are essential for providing safe places for whales that are completely off-limits to commercial whaling interests. Places of refuge, sanctuaries are areas where whale populations can recover from years of exploitation. Because whales are highly migratory, sanctuaries are vital in both feeding and breeding grounds, areas that are often thousands of kilometres apart.

Humpback whale fluke. © Ushioda/Innerspace Visions

The idea of whale sanctuaries is not new. As early as 1937, the whaling nations realised they were in danger of destroying the very resources upon which their industry depended. By mutual agreement they established a sanctuary that covered a quarter of the Southern ocean. It protected whales until 1955, when the IWC, under pressure from the industry, closed the sanctuary. Then in 1979, the IWC agreed to establish the Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary, protecting whales in their breeding and calving grounds. In 1994, the IWC created the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, which covers all waters surrounding Antarctica and protects three quarters of the world's whales in their feeding grounds.

Since 1998, two new sanctuaries have been proposed: the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary and the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary. These two sanctuaries combined, in addition to the existing Indian Ocean Sanctuary, would protect the breeding grounds of whales that feed in the Southern ocean, effectively providing refuge for whales in almost the entire southern hemisphere.

The sanctuary system, however, is under threat. The Japanese whaling industry conducts its 'scientific' whaling in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary and recent events point to Japan's influence in preventing the introduction of new sanctuaries.

In 2000, the IWC voted on the adoption of the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary proposal. Even though all the South Pacific countries were in favour of the sanctuary, the proposal was defeated by a vote of 18 to 11, short of the three-quarters majority required to pass. The vote was defeated because six countries in the eastern Caribbean, countries that are part of Japan's voting bloc, voted against it.

Existing and proposed sanctuaries.