RECOGNISING that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is the internationally competent organisation for
the conservation and management of whale stocks;
FURTHER RECOGNISING that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) passed Resolution Conf 11.4 (Rev COP12) which acknowledges the IWC as the major source of
information on whale stocks around the world;
NOTING that the IWC Scientific Committee continuously reviews the status of all whale stocks;
NOTING that the moratorium on commercial whaling has been in effect since 1986, remains in effect and the reasons
for the moratorium remain valid;
WELCOMING the continuing cooperation between CITES and the IWC on issues related to international trade in
whale products, and urging all governments to continue to support IWC and CITES obligations with respect to this
issue;
FURTHER NOTING the existence of CITES Resolution Conference 11.4 (Rev. CoP12) on the Conservation of
cetaceans, trade in cetacean specimens and the relationship with the International Whaling Commission which interalia
expresses concern that international trade in meat and other products of whales is lacking adequate international
monitoring or control, recognises that the IWC is the major source of information on whale stocks around the world and
recommends that the Parties to CITES agree not to issue any import or export permit, or certificate for introduction
from the sea under CITES for primarily commercial purposes for any specimen of a species or stock protected from
commercial whaling by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling;
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
AFFIRMS that the moratorium on commercial whaling remains in place and that the reasons for the moratorium are
still relevant;
EXPRESSES APPRECIATION that CITES recognises the IWC’s Scientific Committee as the universally recognised
international organisation with international expertise to review and evaluate the status of the world’s whale stocks;
REAFFIRMS the important role of CITES in supporting the IWC’s management decisions with regard to the
conservation of whale stocks and the importance of continued cooperation between CITES and IWC;
REAFFIRMS the importance of continued cooperation between CITES and IWC with regard to the conservation of
whale stocks through the regulation and management of international trade in whale products;
CONSIDERS that the IWC has not yet completed the necessary measures to regulate commercial whaling;
CONSIDERS that any weakening of existing restrictions on trade under CITES could have significant adverse effects
on the moratorium on commercial whaling and increase threats to whales;
REQUESTS Contracting Governments to respect the relationship between the two conventions and not to seek the
transfer of cetacean species from CITES Appendix I.
FURTHER REQUESTS the secretariat to send a copy of this resolution to the CITES secretariat.
1 The version of this Resolution circulated in August 2007 and posted on the website had an error in the 7 th operative paragraph