Whaling and dolphins hunts

Tens of thousands of dolphins and whales are slaughtered every year.

Whaling is cruel, unnecessary and unsustainable, yet despite the international ban on commercial whaling, it continues today.

Japan, Norway and Iceland, together kill over 2,000 whales each year.  However they are not the only ones putting the future of whales at risk. 

A growing number of governments are pushing hard for restrictions on both whaling and trade in whale products to be lifted. 

The world’s oceans could soon be opened up to a bloody and cruel slaughter that should have been consigned to history:  A slaughter that saw many whale species brought to the brink of extinction last century.

WDCS campaigns to stop commercial whaling at every level – in international meetings; in the press; through public protests and by encouraging governments to take stronger actions against whaling nations.

To find out more please read our recent reports on whaling (available in PDF format).

Hunted - Dead or Still Alive: A report on the cruelty of whaling (2003)
The RMS – A question of confidence? (2005)
Troubled Waters - A review of the welfare implications of modern whaling activities (2004)
Rapid Genotyping techniques for identification of species and stock identity in fresh, frozen, cooked and canned products (1999)

Threat From Solomon Island Dolphin Captures Continues WDCS is very concerned at the continuation of captures and international export of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in the Solomon Islands. 2008-April-14

Live Captures In its search for live dolphins, the aquarium industry is helping to fund brutal hunts in Japan, known as ‘drive hunts’. 2008-February-20

Stop Bloody Whaling A new threat to the world-wide ban on commercial whaling is looming. For years, Japan, Norway and Iceland have tried to overturn the moratorium on commercial whaling that was imposed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986. 2008-February-20