This week, Hobart, Australia, will host the International Whaling Commission's 2026 meeting. About 300 delegates from 63 countries – including government officials, scientists and observers – will gather to review progress and set future priorities for whale protection.

A key agenda item is a 25‑year push, led by South and Central American nations, to create a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary. The proposal would link new waters to the existing Southern Ocean Sanctuary, forming a massive protected area. To adopt it, three‑quarters of the delegates must vote in favour, as the change requires amending the IWC convention.

Scientists warn that the recovery is not secure. Climate change, ongoing human activity and expanding Antarctic krill fisheries all pose fresh threats to whales and their food supply. Whale scientist Vanessa Pirotta said, "The IWC has been important, and Australia has achieved much in terms of conservation, but climate change, ongoing human activity and krill fishing in Antarctica remain challenges."

Japan left the IWC in 2019 to restart commercial whaling. The departure reduced the commission’s membership to 89 countries, but the ban’s legacy still limits legal whaling to a tiny fraction of historic levels – "probably less than 1 per cent," Gales noted.

The meeting matters because the old success of the ban is now being tested by modern pressures. Protecting whales will require new international agreements, tighter management of krill fisheries and coordinated action against climate impacts, ensuring the species can thrive for generations to come.