abstract:The Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is an area of 50 million square kilometres surrounding the continent of Antarctica where the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has banned all types of commercial whaling. To date, the IWC has designated two such sanctuaries, the other being the Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
In anticipation of the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Grenada next month, Japan has prepared a motion to abolish a whalesanctuary in the SouthernOcean.