By Omar Bah
The recent joint proposal from The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ghana, and Guinea-Bissau to lift the long-standing ban on commercial whaling at the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) meeting in Peru drew criticism for its unexpected nature. These West African nations argued that lifting the ban would help address food insecurity. However, this move was met with disappointment from conservation groups, as these countries have no history of whaling.
The proposal and a separate motion to classify whaling as a global food security source were retracted after insufficient support. Nonetheless, the proponents are preparing to refine their arguments for the next IWC meeting in Australia in 2026. Madison Miketa, a wildlife scientist at Humane Society International, emphasized that the proposal was not about food security, stating that the nations presenting it have no cultural traditions of consuming whale meat. Over 100 scientists and experts from the region publicly affirmed that there is neither a tradition nor a necessity for whaling in West and Central Africa.
