Environments

Species Conservation

Explanation of New Zealand's Policy on Whales

As a geographically isolated country with many unique plants and animals and as a country dependent on activities such as agriculture, fishing and forestry for our economic wellbeing, New Zealand has a strong interest in species conservation. New Zealand therefore plays an active role in the operation of international treaties relating to species conservation with a particular interest in the conservation of marine species such as whales.

New Zealand’s policy for the conservation of whales, other than for aboriginal subsistence whaling by indigenous communities whose requests meet the International Whaling Commission’s criteria, is based on the following considerations:

• Even in relatively recent times, most great whale species were exploited to near-extinction by commercial whalers from many industrialised countries, including New Zealand.  Whales have therefore come to symbolise the excesses of unrestrained human activity and their recovery is seen as an indication as to whether we can restrain ourselves for the benefit of future generations
• Because of past excesses, there must be clear evidence of significant population recovery before the moratorium on commercial whaling can be re-visited
• Whale populations continue to be threatened by a wide range of issues, including climate change, ship strikes and habitation degradation.

The international community has recognised that there are a small number of indigenous communities with long and continuous histories of subsistence whaling and a continuous nutritional need for whale meat.  The IWC considers requests by these communities for small “aboriginal subsistence quota” and approves those requests that meet the Commission’s requirements and where the whale stock in question is not seriously threatened.  This is not commercial whaling:  the meat must be consumed locally and not be traded.  New Zealand seeks the early completion by the IWC of an Aboriginal Whaling Management Programme to ensure a consistent approach to quota requests.

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