Antigua and Barbuda is pressing the International Whaling Commission to place greater emphasis on the sustainable use of whale resources, arguing that conservation should be balanced with the original mandate to manage and develop the whaling industry.

The position was outlined by

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

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

Joseph reminded delegates that the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling was established with what Antigua and Barbuda describes as two pillars — conservation and the management and development of the whaling industry.

“Both must be respected,” the statement said.

Antigua and Barbuda argued that the convention was designed to strike a balance between protecting whale stocks and allowing their regulated use, rather than functioning solely as a preservation agreement.

The country said the international framework was established at a time when whale populations were being decimated for oil and other industrial purposes. It credited the convention with helping to halt that decline by establishing a system to regulate and manage whales.

However, Joseph said circumstances have changed significantly.

The statement pointed to coastal communities, including those in Small Island Developing States, where whales may be taken for food security, nutritional needs and cultural continuity rather than industrial purposes.

Antigua and Barbuda said such use should be permitted when supported by science and conducted within the framework of the IWC’s Scientific Committee.

The government is therefore advocating an approach that allows sustainable use while maintaining conservation safeguards.

“We thank the founding members for their wisdom in creating a balanced convention — a convention for management and use, not for preservation alone,” the statement said.

Joseph also urged the commission to ensure its decisions remain grounded in science, international law and the convention, rather than emotion, and called for the rights of sovereign states to be respected.

For Antigua and Barbuda, the debate is also tied to challenges confronting small island states, including food security, climate change, sustainable livelihoods and the management of marine resources.

“Whales are part of that ecosystem. They must be managed, not mythologized,” the statement concluded.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda Pushes IWC Toward Sustainable Use of Whales.