Sorrento, Italy-The International Whaling Commission (IWC) passed a resolution on Wednesday, July 21st, showing agreement that the inherent cruelty of whaling is an issue that needs to be addressed. The resolution was brought by New Zealand and was co-sponsored by 16 other nations, including the United States.

"This is a very real victory for whale welfare. For too long, the inherent cruelty of whaling has been ignored, despite the IWC's mandate to address welfare issues," says WSPA General Director Peter Davies. Davies is also the coordinator of WhaleWatch, an unprecedented coalition of over 140 animal welfare societies in more than 55 countries that are concerned about whaling. "Far too many whales have suffered, and more will continue to suffer agonizing deaths from the whalers' harpoons. We are delighted that the IWC has agreed that cruelty can no long be tolerated and that committed action should be taken to stop it."

The New Zealand resolution brought agreement on the following points:

• Recognition that the welfare of hunted whales is an issue of international concern
• Reconfirmation of the IWC's mandate to address welfare issues
• Recognition that current whaling methods do not guarantee death without pain, stress or distress
• Recognition that IWC should reconvene its regular Working Group on 'Whale Killing Methods and Associated Welfare Issues,' which was dramatically dropped from this year's agenda. This move was seen as a clear sign by many animal welfare groups that the IWC was not taking welfare seriously.

The New Zealand resolution was co-sponsored by the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Austria, Mexico, South Africa, the Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, India, Argentina and Finland. It was passed by a simple majority of 29 votes in favor and 22 against.

The WhaleWatch coalition launched a global campaign in March this year, urging the IWC to reconsider whale welfare. The campaign published a scientific report, Troubled Waters, which concluded there is not currently a reliably humane way to kill a whale at sea.

Over 20,000 great whales have been killed since the ban on commercial whaling began in 1986. Norway, Japan and Iceland are already killing hundreds of whales in commercial and so-called 'scientific' whale hunts. The death toll on whales this year alone is expected to reach 1,400. The WhaleWatch coalition is calling for an end to all commercial and scientific whaling operations.

Leading organizations in the WhaleWatch coalition include Campaign Whale, Care for the Wild International, Danish Animal Welfare Society, Environmental Investigation Agency, Fondation Brigitte Bardot, Japan Animal Welfare Society, Lega Anti Vivisezione, The Humane Society of the United States, The Royal Society for the Protection of Animals, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.