News: India reaffirmed its commitment to science-based cetacean conservation at the 70th IWC meeting in Hobart, Australia.

About

• Global intergovernmental body for conservation and management of whales, dolphins and porpoises.
• Established under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), 1946.
• India joined: 1981.
• Secretariat: Impington, near Cambridge, UK.

Key Features

• Commercial whaling moratorium: Adopted in 1982, effective from 1986.
• Regulates aboriginal subsistence whaling through quotas.
• Scientific Committee conducts whale-stock assessments and research.
• Can establish whale sanctuaries and hunting restrictions.
• Addresses threats such as ship strikes, entanglement and pollution.

Significance

• Promotes conservation of cetaceans and marine biodiversity through science-based management.
• Provides a global framework for regulating whaling and protecting marine mammals.