Abstract
In this chapter we will explore how the international community has been dealing with marine mammals and what multilateral regimes of relevance for marine mammal conservation exist. Broadly speaking, these fall within the realm of international environmental law and, to a lesser degree, the law of the sea. This is to say that their primary objective is the conservation (and from the outset sustainable use) of biodiversity through the protection and management of specific species. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) from 1973, the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) or the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Habitats (Bern Convention) both from 1979 are such examples. Moreover, we will get to know the Law of the Sea Convention, which treats marine mammals in a special manner.
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Notes
- 1.
Orwell (1945/1951), p. 90.
- 2.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora , 3 Mar 1973 (993 UNTS 243).
- 3.
See for instance Couzens (2013), pp. 126–130.
- 4.
CITES (2018).
- 5.
International Marine Mammal Project (2018).
- 6.
IFAW (2010).
- 7.
PBSG (2013).
- 8.
See United Nations (1972), Rec 32.
- 9.
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals , 23 June 1979 (1651 UNTS 333).
- 10.
Own emphasis.
- 11.
Own emphasis.
- 12.
Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (Undated).
- 13.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 10 Dec 1982 (1833 UNTS 3).
- 14.
Byers (2013), pp. 107–109.
- 15.
Churchill and Lowe (1999), pp. 317–320.
- 16.
Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union , OJ C 326, 26.10.2012, pp. 47–390.
- 17.
Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild fauna and Flora , OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.
- 18.
Council Regulation 338/97/EC on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein , OJ L 61, 3.3.1997, p. 1.
- 19.
Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Habitats , 19 September 1979 (1284 UNTS 209).
- 20.
Trouwborst et al. (2017).
- 21.
Agreement on Cooperation in Research, Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals in the North Atlantic , 9 Apr 1992.
- 22.
Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Northeast Atlantic , 22 Sept 1992 (2354 UNTS 67).
- 23.
Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft (Oslo Convention) ,15 Feb 1972 (932 UNTS 3).
- 24.
Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Land-Based Sources (Paris Convention) , 4 June 1975 (1546 UNTS 119).
- 25.
Antarctic Treaty, 1 Dec 1959 (402 UNTS 71).
- 26.
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, 4 Oct 1991 (30 ILM 1455).
- 27.
Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals, 1 June 1972 (11 ILM 251).
- 28.
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources , 20 May 1980 (1329 UNTS 48).
- 29.
Hoyt (2011), p. 24.
- 30.
Convention on Biological Diversity , 5 June 1992 (1760 UNTS 79).
- 31.
OSPAR (Undated).
- 32.
Hoyt (2011).
References
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Further Reading
Bankes N (2013) The conservation and utilization of marine mammals in the Arctic Region. In: Molenaar EJ, Oude Elferink AG, Rothwell DR (eds) The law of the sea and the polar regions. Interactions between global and regional regimes. Brill Nijhoff, Leiden, pp 298—321
Molenaar EJ (2003) Marine mammals: the role of ethics and ecosystem considerations. J Int Wildl Law Policy 6:31–51
Mossop J (2013) Marine mammals in the Antarctic treaty system. In: Molenaar EJ, Oude Elferink AG, Rothwell DR (eds) The law of the sea and the polar regions. Interactions between global and regional regimes. Brill Nijoff, Leiden, pp 267–292
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Sellheim, N. (2020). The Global Framework for the Environment and Marine Mammals. In: International Marine Mammal Law. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35268-4_4
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