Ending commercial whaling

A global ban on commercial whaling went into effect in 1986. But every year, thousands of whales are killed cruelly and unnecessarily. Despite the global whaling ban, Japanese, Norwegian and Icelandic whaling fleets continue harpooning whales, subjecting them to a cruel death. Backed by their governments, but opposed by much of the world, they hunt for profit, not out of necessity or for science, as some claim. IFAW is committed to using all possible international conventions and legal strategies to end commercial whaling.

IFAW campaigns against commercial whaling

• We campaign for better protection for whales at the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
• We reveal the sham of scientific whaling, and show that the valuable scientific research of marine mammals by scientists can be carried out without harming animals.
• We expose illegal whale hunting through DNA analysis of meat from endangered whales for sale in Japan and Korea.

Stopping commercial whaling to help local economies

Commercial whaling isn’t just bad for whales, it’s bad for economies. We support the development of responsible whale watching operations as the only truly sustainable use of whales in the 21^st Century.