Protecting Whales by Hue and Cry: Is There a Role for Non-State Actors in the Enforcement of International Law?

Abstract:     
The 2009/10 whaling season in the Southern Ocean witnessed a dramatic escalation in the clashes between the Japanese whaling fleet and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. In January a collision between the Sea Shepherd’s Ady Gil and the Japanese whaler Shonan Maru No. 2 resulted in the sinking of the Ady Gil. Then in February the skipper of the Ady Gil, Pete Bethune, boarded the Shonan Maru No. 2 to effect a ‘citizen’s arrest’ of its Master whilst also presenting a demand for compensation. This paper considers the place, if any, for the sort of hue and cry enforcement of international law envisioned by Sea Shepherd.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 10

Keywords: International Law, Whales, Enforcement

JEL Classification: K33

working papers series