Has New Zealand missed a golden opportunity to end whaling?

Gareth MorganEnvironment, Fisheries Management

With the start of the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission, it is timely to revisit the issue of whaling and New Zealand’s recent attempt at a compromise position.

A few years ago New Zealand tried to broker a deal to allow the Japanese to whale, but with a decreasing quota. The aim of the New Zealand position was to allow the Japanese an honourable exit from the practice, which is now uneconomic because so few Japanese still eat whale. One reason that the Japanese keep whaling might simply be a stubborn dislike of being dictated to by West, particularly when our moral high ground is so shaky.

Find out more about the New Zealand position by watching the video we made with our current International Whaling Commissioner Gerard van Bohemen and The Morgan Foundations Geoff Simmons.

Ultimately our idea got stymied by some environmental campaigners and Western governments. Was New Zealand right to suggest this idea in the first place? Have we missed a golden opportunity to end whaling? Sound off below.

[youtube height=”100%” width=”350″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktGxC4hk5GE[/youtube]

 

Has New Zealand missed a golden opportunity to end whaling? was last modified: December 15th, 2015 by Gareth Morgan
About the Author

Gareth Morgan

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Gareth Morgan is a New Zealand economist and commentator on public policy who in previous lives has been in business as an economic consultant, funds manager, and professional company director. He is also a motorcycle adventurer and philanthropist. Gareth and his wife Joanne have a charitable foundation, the Morgan Foundation, which has three main stands of philanthropic endeavour – public interest research, conservation and social investment.