World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2004)
Reporting Period: 2004
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Animal Welfare
Climate Goals & Targets
Environmental Challenges
- Modern whaling methods cause severe welfare problems and unnecessary suffering to whales.
- Current killing methods are not adequately adapted for the species being killed, leading to protracted times to death.
- Lack of due consideration to species-specific killing requirements.
- Poor accuracy in whaling due to weather, sea conditions, and ship motions.
- Stress imposed on whales during pursuit before any killing method is deployed.
- High 'struck and lost' rates, resulting in injured and suffering whales.
- Inadequate IWC criteria for determining death and insensibility in cetaceans.
Mitigation Strategies
- The report calls on the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to urgently address the severe welfare problems attendant in modern whaling activities.
- Advocating for a halt to all whaling operations on animal welfare grounds.