Social-Ecological Resilience and Whale Conservation

Abstract: Whale species face numerous man-made threats, such as pollution, whaling, climate change and whale-watching, that threaten their survival. International environmental law has several regulations in place that aim, either directly or indirectly, at conserving whales. To manage the dynamic and uncertain conditions in which whales live, it is important for the law to adopt a social-ecological resilience perspective. Whales can function in different social-ecological systems as exemplified by the system of whale-watching in Iceland. This thesis examines various legal regimes related to whale conservation and the extent to which they support or provide for resilience thinking. While the selected regimes demonstrate resilience features to varying degrees, direct references to resilience in international environmental law are rare. However, supplementary materials from a convention can also acknowledge the importance of embracing a resilience perspective. Legal regimes that promote social-ecological resilience may enhance the law's ability to protect and manage whale species in a more sustainable manner.