The International Politics of Whaling

Whales: large, mysterious, intelligent, and endangered. Over the years, large-scale commercial whaling has gradually devoured several species, resulting in a global moratorium issues by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986. Current debate centers on the validity of this ban given strong opposition from whaling communities in Norway and Japan, Iceland’s withdrawal frm the IWC, and reputed recovery of some whale populations.

The International Politics of Whaling is a fascinating study of the politics, environmental dilemmas, and ethical questions surrounding this highly controversial issue. Peter Stoett seeks to clarify the multidimensional nature of whaling as well as its relation to other crucial environmental concerns such as ozone depletion, global warming, and marine pollution. Stoett combines a sensitivity to ecological questios with a hard assessment of the political realities of the international community in order to assess this important issue.