CONTENTS

WHALEWATCHING

A major new development is the IWC's involvement in whalewatching as a sustainable use of cetacean resources. In 1993, the IWC invited Contracting Governments to undertake a preliminary assessment of the extent, and economic and scientific value, of whalewatching activities. These reports on the value and potential of whalewatching were consolidated by the Secretariat and considered by a Working Group at the 1994 meeting. As a result the IWC has reaffirmed its interest in the subject, encouraged some scientific work and adopted a series of objectives and principles for managing whalewatching proposed by the Scientific Committee. In 1996 it adopted a Resolution that underlined the IWC's future role in monitoring and advising on the subject. The Scientific Committee has agreed the following general guidelines for whalewatching and produced a compilation of whalewatching regulations from around the world

The first Scientific Committee whalewatching Working Group met in 1996 to consider the future work of the Committee in this regard. The Group determined that the overall objective in developing guidelines for the management of whalewatching was to ensure that the development of whalewatching is ecologically sustainable and meets, to the extent possible, the requirements of the industry and expectations of the wider community. The following objectives were adopted by the Commission as the basis for further consideration of issues relating to the management of whalewatching:

1. ensuring that whalewatching does not significantly increase the risk to the survival or ecological functioning of local populations or species or their environment; and therefore, in the short-term, that whalewatching does not result in significant adverse change in population dynamics such as birth or mortality rates, or impede normal patterns of habitat use or activity, including feeding, resting and reproduction;
2. the development and maintenance of viable and responsible whalewatching activities.

The following priority topics were identified for future work:

1. A more detailed review of the approach distances, effort and activity limitations in place in existing operations for a range of species and information on the basis for such controls.
2. An assessment of current studies of the effects of different approach distances and platforms.
3. A review of the qualitative methods used to assess the short-term reactions of cetaceans and the basis of judgements of adverse effects.
4. Comparative studies on different approaches/distances and other controls which may be required on areas important for feeding, resting and reproduction.

In addition to these priority topics, the Scientific Committee has also considered the assessment of long-term effects, dolphin feeding programmes, whale and dolphin ‘swim-with’ programmes, noise from whalewatching vessels and aircraft, critical response parameters and development of a data recording system (DRS) for data collection from whalewatching platforms of opportunity.

WORLDWIDE REGULATIONS

To download the latest version of the compilation of whalewatching regulations from around the world, click on the filename with your right mouse button and choose option 'Save target as..'

WHALEWATCHING WORKSHOPS

A Workshop on the Science for Sustainable Whalewatching, endorsed by the IWC, was held in Cape Town from 6-9 March 2004. It reviewed available scientific and management tools for regulating whalewatching operations, and developed a concept for managing whalewatching in accordance with the precautionary approach outlined as Principle 15 of the UNCED 1992 Declaration, and the FAO Code of Conduct. This concept included the need for a clear definition of management objectives with Target and Limit Reference Points and a Precautionary Approach Reference Point. In order to evaluate status in relation to predefined reference points, the Workshop discussed a set of critical response parameters to link whalewatching operations to impacts on cetaceans, as well as appropriate techniques to monitor these parameters. The concept developed by the Workshop will have to be adapted and adopted on a case-by-case basis, taking into account domestic legislation, policy, guidelines and socio-economic considerations. However, the benefits of a common management concept include the possibility of adopting comparative objectives and applying similar monitoring techniques. New techniques and studies for quantitative assessment of the impacts of whalewatching operations were discussed.

The Full Report of the Workshop can be downloaded below. Click on the filename with your right mouse button and choose option 'Save target as..'