Whale of a celebration in Berlin

"What was once a whalers' club has become a force for conservation" said Chris Tuite of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). For many years IWC stood by while one species of whale after another was virtually wiped out, but in recent years it has moved increasingly towards protecting whales with decisions including the whaling moratorium in 1986 and the creation of a Southern Ocean whale sanctuary in 1994.

The newly agreed Berlin Initiative calls for the creation of a conservation committee to meet and organise future protection work on all species of whales and dolphins - large and small. It will address many threats to whales and dolphins, including entanglement in fishing nets, pollution and collisions with shipping.

IFAW has worked closely with non-whaling countries, particularly Mexico and Germany, the host nation of this meeting, to formalise this move towards conservation. The proposal was carried with 5 votes. 25 countries voted in favour, 20 against, and 1 abstained.

Fred O'Regan, President of IFAW, said, "Whales around the world are safer today thanks to this landmark decision. It marks a move from centuries of exploitation to a new century of wildife conservation.

Many people around the world believe that whaling ended with the moratorium in 1986, but in fact it still continues and is increasing. Norway and Japan continue to hunt more than 1,300 whales a year. Iceland has announced its intention to join them.