Protecting Whales and their habitats

Commercial whaling devastated the planet’s whale populations, pushing some to the brink of extinction. That’s why sanctuaries are an essential tool for protecting whales and countless other marine animals. They provide opportunities to encourage non-lethal uses for whales such as whale watching and benign research technologies to better understand their biology and behavior.

Sanctuaries also help to increase public awareness about the lives, habitat and cultural significance of these majestic mammals. Some of these areas are whale sanctuaries designated by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), while others are local, national and regional marine protected areas. These sanctuaries help protect feeding and/or breeding grounds as well as migratory routes of some whales.

More sanctuaries needed
Some whales in the southern hemisphere travel great distances from their Antarctic feeding areas to their tropical breeding grounds. To protect these whales and their habitats, IFAW helped the International Whaling Commission (IWC) set up sanctuaries covering large areas of the Indian and Southern Oceans. Proposals for two new sanctuaries for the south Pacific and south Atlantic Oceans are being considered.

Despite these sanctuaries, more than 20,000 whales have been killed since the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling, largely for so-called “scientific research”. Japan continues to engage in “vote buying” and other tactics to mobilize pro-whaling forces within the IWC, pushing for existing sanctuaries to be overturned. This faction has successfully blocked votes for the proposed south Pacific and south Atlantic sanctuaries, despite strong support from countries in those regions.

The work continues
IFAW is committed to saving the world’s whales. One of our greatest victories was won in Baja California – where we saved one of the last pristine Gray whale nurseries from destruction in a campaign that won worldwide acclaim.

And now we are expanding our efforts to embrace critically endangered Right whales, Western Pacific Gray whales, endangered species in the Caribbean and so many other whales worldwide.

IFAW-funded scientists and campaigners work with IWC members to maintain existing sanctuaries and promote new ones, help countries develop other sanctuaries, support communities to develop responsible whale-watching industries as well as increasing public awareness about whales around the world.