Obama Whaling Repeal

This week, the Obama administration revealed that it supports lifting the 24-year global ban on commercial whaling for the three nations that still actively hunt whales: Japan, Norway, and Iceland. Environmental organizations the world over are decrying the decision, saying that lifting the ban contradicts Obama’s campaign promise to end the slaughter of whales. Currently, it is internationally illegal to hunt whales for commercial purposes, but Japan, Norway, and Iceland claim to hunt whales for scientific research, although the number of slaughtered whales continues to rise every year. The International Whaling Commission convenes next on June 20, when the proposed repeal will be voted on.