Issued by: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Government reiterates opposition to commercial whaling at the 70th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), 80 years after it was established.

Forty years of the global ban on commercial whaling was marked this week, as the government reiterated the UK’s long-standing opposition to commercial whaling at the 70th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

Whales, dolphins and porpoises have fascinated people for generations, and their presence in our waters continues to draw wonder and public interest. Protecting them for future generations remains a firm priority for the UK.

At this year’s IWC meeting – marking the body’s 80th anniversary and its 70th session – UK representatives secured further support for the protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises by co-sponsoring a resolution recognising the importance of cetacean strandings response and research, adopted by strong consensus.

A cetacean stranding occurs when a whale, dolphin or porpoise washes up dead or alive on a beach or in shallow water. These strandings can reveal important information about the health of these animals, including why they died, and can point to wider risks such as pollution, entanglement in fishing gear, and vessel collisions.

To support this work, the UK has contributed £150,000 towards a new Global Cetacean Strandings Database, helping countries work together and share information more effectively.

The new resolution will ensure that strandings data is used more effectively across the IWC’s work, leading to stronger coordination, better evidence, and faster responses when animals are found in distress.

International Oceans Minister Stephen Morgan said:

"Whales are awe-inspiring creatures, and we must continue to protect them, while working to end the unnecessarily cruel practice of commercial whaling globally.

"I’m proud of the leading role the United Kingdom has played in championing the moratorium and driving forward vital new work on strandings, which will strengthen our understanding of the threats facing whales, dolphins and porpoises around the world."

Defra Chief Scientific Advisor Anjali Goswami said:

"Witnessing a whale stranding is an extremely distressing experience, and with hundreds of whales stranded on beaches across the UK each year, it’s vital we learn as much as we can from every case.

"Strandings data is one of our most valuable scientific tools for understanding the changing threats to these magnificent animals and supporting them more quickly when they are found in trouble.

"Our £150,000 contribution to the new Global Cetacean Strandings Database will ensure that this evidence can be shared and acted on more effectively across the world."

At IWC70, the UK also completed a two-year term chairing two of the IWC’s key committees: the Conservation Committee and the Scientific Committee.

Under UK leadership, the Conservation Committee has doubled the number of active Conservation Management Plans to ten expanded practical action on bycatch through pilot projects in five locations, and mitigation training in three locations.

At IWC70, the Committee received a record number of national conservation reports, agreed a new Strategic Plan and vision aligned with global biodiversity goals, and agreed financial reforms to secure long-term funding for conservation work.

The UK remains strongly opposed to commercial whaling and continues to call on the countries that still hunt whales to stop.

This international effort is matched by work at home to understand and reduce the pressures on whales, dolphins and porpoises in UK waters, including through the UK Cetacean Conservation Strategy and domestic strandings programmes.

The IWC is the only global body with the authority to manage and protect cetaceans internationally, and the UK remains committed to working with other countries to help it do this effectively.

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