by B. Stone

Created on: July 07, 2009

Man has been hunting and killing whales since around 800 A.D. for meat, oil, and whale bones. In the past, these great creatures have been manufactured into a number of common products from shoe polish and lipstick to margarine and dog food. Today however, there is a moratorium on whaling; no one is allowed to hunt and kill the great whales for commercial reasons. Why is this? Because whale populations have diminished to a fraction of what they once were.

Seven species were hunted to the very edge of existence - fin whales, right whales, humpbacks, bowheads, sei, blue, and sperm whales. Some of these species number in the hundreds even after years of protection, while others have recovered a small portion of their former populations. Other whales, such as minke whales and gray whales, are threatened species.

Whaling has been the primary culprit in the reduction of the great whales. Since the whaling industry modernized with the invention of the steam engine and the exploding harpoon gun in the 1860's, and then the development of full scale factory ships at the turn of the 20th century, whale populations have sharply declined. In response, the international community, as well as individual nations and organizations have taken an interest in the conservation of whales.

A number of laws have been passed to protect whales, although they are all difficult to enforce. The foundation of whale conservation efforts is the founding of the International Whaling Commission. The IWC was developed in 1946, initially with the focus of managing the business aspects of the whaling industry. By this time, it was apparent that many of the whale stocks had been depleted as whalers were turning from one species to the next when certain whales became difficult to find. By the 1960's, the purpose of the IWC shifted from management to conservation, simply because of the need for such an international regulatory body. A decade later the IWC had many more anti-whaling nations than pro-whaling nations. Also, the United States, who had historically been a whaling state, shifted its stance as the American population and scientific community voiced their concern for the endangered whales. Finally, in 1986 the moratorium was passed on all commercial whaling.

The IWC is not the only force working to conserve the great whales. The United States has passed a series of laws and amendments to protect whales and other endangered species. In 1972 the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) was passed

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