Whale Wars : How the Institute of Cetacean Research Works

HOW THE INSTITUTE OF CETACEAN RESEARCH WORKS

Visit the ICR's Website

Visit the Institute of Cetacean Research's official website, ICRWhale.org, to find out more about the organization and their stance on the whaling issue.

In the Animal Planet series "Whale Wars," the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society sails into the Antarctic in search of a Japanese whaling fleet. The environmental group is out to stop the five-vessel fleet from killing whales, claiming that it's illegal poaching. However, the Japanese ships don't look like those belonging to a renegade band of whale pirates. Instead, they're emblazoned with the word "research" across their sides. The Japanese government even supports the venture through its Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The whaling fleet is operated, in fact, through the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) in Tokyo. Formed in 1987, a year after the moratorium on commercial whaling went into effect, the ICR kills a set quota of whales each year to study them. Anti-whaling governments, such as Australia, and environmental groups have been vehemently opposed to the ICR since its formation; they claim that the ICR is a cover for Japan slaughtering whales for commercial profit.

Japanese fishermen have killed whales for centuries, both for their oil and meat. Following Word War II, Japan's whaling industry grew exponentially, as the mammals provided a cheaper source of protein amid wartime scarcity. Commercial whaling left various species, including the humpback, teetering on the brink of extinction. Consequently, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was created in 1946, and an official ban on commercial whaling was enacted in 1986.

The ICR exists due to its provisions included in the commercial ban. Specifically, the IWC allows whaling when conducted for scientific research. Whale meat ends up on the Japanese market because by law, no whale research byproducts can be thrown away. Profits from the meat further fund the ICR.

Sound fishy? As always, there are two sides to every story; therefore, a deeper dive into the ICR research agenda should shed some light on Japan's motives.

NEXT: ICR Agenda

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