A Genealogy of Scientific Whaling

: The Origin and Application of Article 8 of the ICRW

Abstract

One of the most contentious issues on the whaling debate is on the Japanese whaling operation under the article 8 of the whaling convention. This paper sheds light on the origin and application of this " scientific permit " article, inquiring whether this provision was abused by contracting governments or not, then delves into the context and motive of Japanese scientific whaling in the late 1970s.