Antigua and Barbuda has called on the International Whaling Commission to ensure its decisions are driven by science, law and the rules governing the organization rather than emotion.

The position was outlined by

Ambassador Daven Joseph, Antigua and Barbuda’s Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission

, during the country’s opening statement at IWC70 in Hobart, Australia.

Joseph reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s support for multilateralism and rules-based international organizations but said those institutions must operate according to the agreements under which they were established.

“This Organization must continue to be rule-based. Decision-making must be grounded in science, in law, and in the Convention — not taken through emotions,” the statement said.

Antigua and Barbuda also appealed to IWC members to respect the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling and the rights of the sovereign states represented within the commission.

The intervention comes as Antigua and Barbuda pushes for a broader reassessment of the commission’s approach to whaling.

The country maintains that the convention was created not solely for preservation, but to provide for the conservation of whale stocks alongside the orderly development of the whaling industry.

Joseph said the commission should respect both conservation and the management and development of whaling, describing them as the convention’s two pillars.

The statement also highlighted the circumstances of Small Island Developing States, saying they face challenges including climate change, food security and the need to maintain sustainable livelihoods.

Antigua and Barbuda argued that whales should form part of ecosystem-based management of ocean resources, declaring: “Whales are part of that ecosystem. They must be managed, not mythologized.”

The country is also calling for a review of the commercial whaling moratorium introduced in 1982, saying a review expected after 10 years never took place.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda Says Global Whaling Decisions Must Be Based on Science, Not Emotion.