Whale sanctuaries

Sanctuaries provide whales with a refuge from commercial whaling. Sanctuaries also foster non-lethal research on whale populations as they recover from centuries of hunting.

There is a global moratorium on commercial whaling. Still, great whales face many threats - from marine pollution, habitat degradation, fisheries and shipping interference - as well as whaling, which some countries continue, either for 'commercial' purposes or for lethal 'scientific' research. The first international whale sanctuary was established in the Antarctic in 1938, eight years before the inception of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

The Australian Whale Sanctuary

It is illegal to kill, injure or interfere with cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises) in Australian waters.

Existing IWC Whale Sanctuaries

Indian Ocean Sanctuary

Indian Ocean Sanctuary was proposed by the Seychelles and established in 1979. The Sanctuary prohibits commercial whaling from the east coast of Africa extending into the Northern Hemisphere to 100°E north of the Equator, and in the Southern Hemisphere to 55°S eastward to the coasts of Indonesia and the Great Australian Bight in South Australia (130°E).

Objective:

to provide freedom from disturbance for migrating and breeding great whales in an area where whales were once hunted to the brink of extinction. This sanctuary was reviewed in 1989, 1992 and 2002. It remains in place.

Southern Ocean Sanctuary

Southern Ocean Sanctuary was proposed by France and established in 1994. It prohibits commercial whaling in former Antarctic whaling grounds, south of 40°S.

Objectives:

recovery of whale stocks, including the undertaking of appropriate research upon and monitoring of depleted populations
continuation of the Comprehensive Assessment of the effects of setting zero catch limits on whale stocks
research on the effects of environmental change on whale stocks. It was reviewed in 2004 and remains in place.

Proposed IWC Whale Sanctuaries

South Pacific Whale Sanctuary

South Pacific Whale Sanctuary was first proposed by Australia and New Zealand in 2000. It has received majority support in the IWC, but not the three-quarter majority required.

Objectives mirror those of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. This proposal would:

protect dramatically reduced whale populations' mating and calving grounds
strengthen the effectiveness of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary
provide economic benefits to South Pacific nations through whale watching
foster long-term research on whale populations and ecosystems.

South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary

South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary has been proposed by Brazil and Argentina since 2001. It has received majority support, but not the required three-quarter majority to come into force.