Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary

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The Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary is a protected area in the Indian Ocean where the International Whaling Commission has banned all types of commercial whaling. The IWC has to date designated two such sanctuaries, the other being the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

[edit] History

The Whale Sanctuaries were put in place by the IWC to give whale species a chance to recover from the past century of over-exploitation, during which most whale populations had collapsed and many species were dangerously near to extinction.

The Indian Ocean Sanctuary was established by the IWC in 1979, and it was followed 15 years later by the establishment of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary which was agreed upon by the IWC in 1994.

The status of the Whale Sanctuaries can be reviewed by the IWC every 10 years, and the Indian Ocean Sanctuary has so far been extended twice. The Southern Ocean Sanctuary has been extended once in 2004. Repeated proposals at the IWC for a South Atlantic Sanctuary and a South Pacific Sanctuary have never reached the 75% majority needed to pass.

[edit] Area

The Indian Ocean Whale Sanctuary extends south to 55°S latitude with a western boundary of 20°E longitude by Africa and an eastern boundary of 130°E longitude by Australia. To the south it borders the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.