I t has been just 100 years since Norway began hunting whales in the Antarctic seas, but celebration seems hardly warranted. The International Whaling Commission is effectively paralyzed because its 57 members, split almost equally between prowhaling and antiwhaling nations, are unable to assemble a two-thirds majority required for resolutions concerning whale stock management. So the standoff at last week's annual meeting, held in Sorrento, Italy, comes as no surprise.
Still, the IWC will lose its raison d'etre if it cannot perform its functions. The commission was created in 1949 to seek sustainable utilization of whale resources while ensuring their proper conservation and management. But attempts to forge consensus on the basis of scientific data have proved futile, as nations on both sides of the dispute hold diametrically opposite views.
It is known that the world's oceans are inhabited by about 80 species of whales. Of these, 13 large types, including minke and blue whales, are covered by IWC rules for conservation and management. Scientific surveys reveal that some of these herds have decreased significantly over the years, while others have increased sharply.