Whale Kills Since 1986
These figures (obtained from annual reports of the IWC, national progress reports submitted by member governments, and press releases for the latest figures) are incomplete.They include only the species of whale for which there is agreed IWC competence. Thus catches of pilot whales and Baird's beaked whales are excluded. The catches also exclude Aboriginal whaling in Greenland, Russia, USA and Canada, "incidental" catches (some of which may be intentional) and infractions. These figures also exclude underreported catches: for example Kondi (2001) reports 1157 Bryde's whales taken by Japan in 1986-87 as compared to the official figure of 634 which is quoted in the table.

Aboriginal/Subsistence Whaling
IFAW does not oppose nor campaign against aboriginal subsistence whaling.

The Southern Ocean Sanctuary
The Southern Ocean Sanctuary is located in the waters around Antarctica and provides long-term protection to approximately three-quarters of the world's remaining great whales.  Find out why keeping this sanctuary protected is critical to the long-term survival of whales.

Using Non-Invasive Research to Study Whales
Whales don't need to be killed in order to be studied.  Learn how IFAW plays a leading role in the development of whale study techniques that don't hurt whales.

Whales and Fisheries
Pro-whaling nations argue that whales compete with fishermen for fish.  This ignores the fact that humans are responsible for over-fishing.

The Harmful Effects of Ocean Noise
Man-made noise in the world's oceans is a serious form of pollution that can lead to behavioral disturbance, physical injury and even death of whales and other marine mammals.

Whales for Sale
According to DNA research supported by IFAW, meat from endangered and protected whales is widely available in Japanese and Korean markets.  Japan's "scientific" whaling is providing a cover for the illegal hunting of, and trade in, endangered species.

Unlawful: Japanese “Scientific Whaling”
An international panel of independent legal experts have determined that Japanese scientific whaling is in fact “unlawful” under international law, a dramatic finding that opposes Japan’s long-held stance that it has the legal right to commercially hunt whales in the name of scientific research.