Cetacean conservation implies the adoption of measures at various levels from international agreements with global and regional reach to measures at the European Union and national level.
International conventions dealing with hunting, trade, conservation in general, research programmes, etc.
The most important organisation for the conservation of cetaceans is the IWC (established by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling). Historically competent to regulate whaling, the IWC also plays an important role in the overall conservation of cetaceans.
Other environmental (CITES, ASCOBANS, etc.) and sectoral (IMO, WHO) organisations and conventions are added to this mechanism depending on the threats involved. Most cetaceans are migratory animals. The international regime should cover both the high seas (Convention on the Law of the Sea, CCAMLR) and the seas under national jurisdiction.
Nevertheless, there are still several flaws and international protection of cetaceans is far from efficient. Thus, no international standard regulates the hunting of dolphins. In addition, the moratorium that protects whales is inherently political. It is therefore provisional and may be removed at any time. In addition, the protection regimes provide several exceptions, thereby giving great leeway to the states.
Our country's desire is to achieve coverage and international legal protection that would cover all cetaceans (large and small).