What are IWC and CITES?  How are they linked?

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are linked with respect to the use and management of whales and dolphins that inhabit our seas.

During the early times of whaling, it had little effect on whale stocks. As the industry became developed, these stocks started to decrease by up to 95% for some species. The Blue whale was one of the most seeked and affected species, then continuing with the other rorquals, and right whales and sperm whales. Because of this, the IWC was established in December 1946 with 14 member countries among which was Argentina.

The IWC is an organization that is responsible for regulating and safeguarding the endangered cetacean species through annual meetings at which new resolutions on population management are voted. From the beginning, the main challenge is the correct stablishment of the possible catch quotas for different species.

To resolve this problem, the Scientific Committee was created which is responsible for studying the evolution of population numbers (through scientific studies that are submitted to this committee) and the possible exploitation (or not) of the different species of whales.
In 1982, the IWC acknowledged that whales populations needed to be protected. In 1986, the moratorium came into force and nations stopped whaling. However, some countries such as Japan, later continued taking whales for scientific purposes or others like Norway continued whaling under the term "Objection".

CITES is an organization that deals with the regulation of trade in animals and plants. The Text of the Convention was agreed in 1973 and was amended in 1979.
The Conference of the Parties meets every two or three years to discuss and vote on proposals to include or exclude species within three different appendices.
Species are listed into three appendices by CITES.

Appendix I: includes all endangered species that may be or can be affected by trade. Trade on specimens of these species must be subject to particularly strict regulation in order to not jeopardize, even more, their survival and it will be allowed only under exceptional circumstances.

Appendix II: includes all species that although at present they are not endangered, they could reach that situation unless trade on specimens of such species is subject to strict regulation in order to avoid an incompatible use with their survival, and those species not affected by trade, that also must be subject to regulation in order to allow an effective control of trade in species that could be endangered, mentioned above.

Appendix III: includes all species that any of the Parties declares are subject to regulation within its jurisdiction with the purpose of preventing or restricting its exploitation and that they need the cooperation of other Parties to control its trade.

Parties will not allow trade in specimens of species included in Appendices I, II, III, except in accordance with the resolutions of the convention.
It is also hoped that the parts through domestic legislation implement the provisions of the treaty. Each Party must establish an management authority of CITES for them to grant the respective import or export permits, monitor trade on listed species and compile annual trade information. In turn each Party must also appoint a scientific authority to have a technical support to grant different import or export permits To grant permits there must be enough information of the species and if trade exists, the infomation must avoid the over-exploitation and guarantee the protection of the species to be trade.

CITES in the Article XV (Amendments to Appendices I and II) at the 2b section states:

With regard to marine species, the Secretariat, upon receiving the text of proposed amendment, will immediately communicate it to the Parties. Further, it will consult with intergovernmental organizations which have a role in relation to these species, especially in order to gather any scientific information that they can provide and ensure the coordination of conservation measures implemented by these entities. The Secretariat will transmit to all Parties, as soon as possible, the expressed opinions and data provided by these organizations, along with their own verifications and recommendations.

This is the key of the relationship between these two entities. That's why a given resolution in one of the two organizations have influence within the other and this can endanger the species we are trying to preserve.

CITES recognizes the IWC as the main body responsible for the management of whales and dolphins. This cooperation began in 1973 at the Conference of Parties of CITES.

There are scientific data to support the need to maintain the moratorium and the current prohibition on trade on cetacean species listed in Appendix I (Table 1).

The little information on stocks of different species of dolphins and whales gives us a valuable argument to prevent the premature implementation of revised management system (RMS), since its implementation could cause a change in the appendices of the different cetaceans species within CITES.