Japan's rejection of international norms against whaling

This research is intended to explain the reasons for Japan's rejection of the anti-whaling norms. To investigate this, a qualitative approach was used with document-based data methods, both primary and secondary. Japan is one of the industrialized countries that have stopped hunting for commercial breaks because of the moratorium in 1982. This moratorium is a form of development of the anti-whaling norm. This research found that Japan is a country that chooses not to this norm with several reasons that state as a strong background for not including and not accepting the norm. This is evidenced by the continuing Japanese whaling through the scientific whaling program. If Japan stops this norm, so all Japanese whaling practices will also stop. The Japanese decision was the result of consideration in understanding norms through a better social context by Japan itself and Japanese society in general who could state in the concept of legitimacy of international norms. This decision was taken from Japan to decide to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in December 2018 which is also Japan's behavior after understanding this social context.

Effectiveness of current protection for Maui dolphin

This paper describes changes to protected areas for Maui dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori mauii) implemented in 2012 and 2013, and estimates their effectiveness in reducing bycatch. An Expert Panel of New Zealand and international scientists, convened by the New Zealand government in 2012, estimated that five Maui dolphins were killed in fishing gear each year – one in trawl fisheries and four in gillnet fisheries. The estimated number of trawl mortalities is unchanged, as no additional protection from trawling has been implemented. The number of gillnet mortalities per year is estimated to have decreased to at best two per year. The International Whaling Commission has recommended that gillnet and trawl fisheries be banned in Maui dolphin habitat, reducing bycatch to as close as practicable to zero.

Whale

This chapter discusses the totemic object of the whale. It analyses the provisions of the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling and the work of the International Whaling Commission. It gives a detailed analysis of the contemporary status of whaling activities provided for under the Whaling Convention: commercial; scientific; and Indigenous; all eliciting conflicting and emotional reactions for the member states of the International Whaling Commission. The whale can also be seen as an object of consumption, which leads to very strong reactions. It appears that at present there is no acceptable solution to reconcile such divergent attitudes. The chapter also deals with the 2014 case before the International Court of Justice, concerning scientific whaling in the Antarctic (Australia, New Zealand intervening v Japan), which serves as an excellent example of problems and conflict of whaling. Whaling appears to be a Gordian Knot of contemporary international law.