St. John’s, Antigua – Antigua and Barbuda is renewing its push for an international debate over the future use of whale resources – a move conservation groups fear could eventually reopen the door to commercial whaling, nearly four decades after an international moratorium restricted the practice.

The government last week submitted a proposal to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) calling for a new framework to manage whale stocks and allow for what it describes as the “sustainable use” of whale resources.

While the proposal does not directly call for commercial whaling to resume, environmental organisations argue that it could mark a significant step toward putting the issue back on the international negotiating table.

Commercial whaling has been restricted under an IWC moratorium since 1986, following decades of declining whale populations. But the question of how whale resources should be managed remains deeply divisive, with member states split over whether individual countries should have greater authority to determine whether they participate in whaling activities.

Antigua and Barbuda has historically supported the position that nations should have greater control over the management of marine resources.

Its latest proposal was co-sponsored by Palau, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Togo and members of the Sustainable Use of Marine Living Resources group.

Supporters of the proposal argue that whale populations have recovered in some regions and that modern scientific tools could make carefully regulated harvesting possible.

The co-sponsors acknowledge that whales were historically overexploited. But they argue that decades of conservation measures have contributed to population increases among some species and contend that the IWC’s 1982 decision to suspend commercial whaling was intended as a temporary measure that should have been reviewed after 10 years.

They also argue that coastal communities could benefit economically from a sustainable-use approach.

At the heart of their argument is a broader question about the role of the IWC itself.

The governments say the commission has moved away from part of its original mandate by focusing primarily on whale protection rather than resource management. They have also criticised the failure to advance the Revised Management Scheme (RMS), a proposed monitoring and control system that supporters say would allow the IWC to make decisions based on current scientific assessments.

The proposal further argues that the IWC’s influence has weakened because some commercial whaling activities continue outside the commission’s framework, including within the exclusive economic zones of some member states.

The co-sponsors warn that the IWC risks losing its role as the main international body responsible for managing whale resources if it does not engage with countries seeking a sustainable whaling framework.

Rather than immediately seeking changes to the whaling moratorium, the proposal calls for the creation of a special task force.

That task force would review previous IWC work, examine whether negotiations on monitoring systems should resume and make recommendations on the future management of whale resources.

Supporters maintain that any future harvesting decisions would have to be based on scientific evidence, including catch limits and monitoring mechanisms.

But that argument has done little to ease concerns among conservation groups.

A coalition of 11 environmental organisations has written to Prime Minister Gaston Browne urging the government to reconsider its position.

The groups have raised concerns about the potential implications for marine conservation, tourism and Antigua and Barbuda’s international reputation.

They have also questioned why the country would support a policy that could ultimately lead to renewed commercial whaling.