A Summary of Blue Manifesto in Action: Uniting to End Whaling in Europe

Last week, during EU Ocean Week at the European Parliament in Brussels, The Stop the Grind Coalition hosted a dynamic webinar titled "Blue Manifesto in Action: Uniting to End Whaling in Europe"—the only event focused on cetacean protection. The session united policy experts, legal minds, and activists to tackle the pressing issue of whaling.

Here are some of the main highlights from our session:

• Marine Policy Officer Rémi Conssetti from Seas at Risk introduced the Blue Manifesto, a roadmap crafted by six ‘blue’ NGOs aiming for a healthy ocean by 2030. Rémi emphasised the potential of the Blue Manifesto to shape the EU’s strategy for ocean protection and the effective development and implementation of an EU Ocean Pact. While it doesn't directly address whaling, its objectives could pressure European whaling nations and enhance cetacean protection through policy coherence and better governance.
  

• Alice Di Concetto, founder of The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy, and expert in animal law and ethics, highlighted that non-EU countries like the Faroe Islands aren't bound by EU whaling laws. She presented a clear plan for the EU to exert pressure through trade restrictions and by banning the transit of whale products through EU ports to ensure compliance with international laws.
  

• Dr. Anna von Rebay, founder of Ocean Vision Legal, the first law firm in the world specialising entirely in marine protection, presented a compelling human rights case against whaling. She noted that it undermines the human right to a healthy environment—a right recognized by the UN General Assembly in 2022. She urged leveraging human rights mechanisms and raising public awareness to combat the destruction caused by whaling. This right offers an exciting avenue for challenging the destruction of nature and biodiversity caused by whaling.
  

• Front-line campaigners Valentina Crast of Sea Shepherd’s Faroe Islands campaign and Lottie Pearson of Whale and Dolphin Conservation shared insights from their anti-whaling efforts. Crast focused on Sea Shepherd’s anti-whaling campaigns in international and national waters, emphasized public support and political action, including diplomatic pressure and restricted trade. Pearson discussed WDC’s successful strategies in Iceland and Norway, such as legal actions leading to suspended whaling licenses, promoting whale-watching, and engaging younger generations to reduce the appetite for whale meat.
  

The overarching message was clear: European nations and citizens must unite to strengthen protections and end whaling. We encourage everyone to amplify this call to action and support the Stop the Grind Coalition and the organizations featured in the webinar: Seas at Risk, The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy, Ocean Vision Legal, Sea Shepherd and WDC.