Whaling and dolphin 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).

Icelandic Whaling (2008)
Whaling: defying international commitments to animal welfare? (2008)
Animal welfare in Norway: an inconsistent truth (2007)
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)

Japan’s Whalers To Set Sail For Kill In Whale Sanctuary The Japanese whaling fleet is due to set sail from the ports of Shimonoseki and Hiroshima imminently, with the aim of killing over a thousand whales for so-called research purposes.  WDCS argues that the real reason however isn’t science, but greed. 2008-November-13

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-May-28

The Myth Of 'Whales Eat Fish' The Whalers are increasing turning to spurious arguments to justify their dying industry. In Iceland, government scientists tasked with supporting whaling are using ecosystem-based management arguments to support their hunts. 2008-May-10

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