Key dates in the history of whaling
| 1925 | League of Nations recognises over exploitation of whales |
| 1930 | Bureau of International Whaling Statistics set up |
| 1931 | First international regulatory agreement |
| 1931 | Bowhead whale protected |
| 1935 | Northern & Southern Right whale protected |
| 1937 | Gray whale protected |
| 1946 | International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling agreed |
| 1949 | International Whaling Commission established |
| 1961 | Highest known number of whales killed (66,000) |
| 1963 | Humpback whales protected in Southern Hemisphere |
| 1967 | Blue whales protected in Southern Hemisphere |
| 1979 | Indian Ocean Sanctuary established |
| 1979 | Moratorium on factory ship whaling (except for minkes) |
| 1979 | Sei whales protected (some exceptions) |
| 1981 | Sperm whales protected (some exceptions) |
| 1982 | IWC moratorium on commercial whaling agreed |
| 1986 | IWC moratorium on commercial whaling comes into force |
| 1987/8 | Japan begins scientific whaling |
| 1989 | Lowest known number of whales hunted (326) |
| 1992 | North Atlantic Marine Mammals Commission (NAMMCO) established |
| 1993 | Norway resumes commercial whaling under objection to the moratorium |
| 1994 | Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary established |
| 1994 | RMP approved |
| 1997 | Numbers of minke whales killed for commercial and "scientific" purposes by Japan and Norway increase to over 1,000 animals |
| 2000 | Japan extends its scientific whaling to include Bryde's and sperm whales as well as Northern and Southern minkes |
| 2001 | Norway announces the resumption of international trade in whale meat and blubber (although this does not take place) |
| 2002 | Japan extends its scientific whaling to include endangered sei whales |
| 2002 (October) | Iceland succeeds in rejoining IWC with a reservation to the moratorium, valid after 2006 |
| 2003 | Iceland begins "scientific whaling" on minke whales |
| 2004 | Resolution approved to begin formal RMS talks |
| 2005 | Japan announces they will double their take of minke whales to 850, and take 10 fin whales in 2005-6, and then increase to 50 fin whales and 50 humpback whales from 2007 as part of their "scientific whaling" program |
| 2006 | At the 59th meeting of the IWC in St. Kitts and Nevis, the pro-whaling block gains the simple majority for the first time in the history of the IWC, and use it to pass a resolution stating that the commercial whaling moratorium is 'unnecessary', that whales are a threat to food security due to the fact that they consume fish, and declaring a commitment to 'normalizing' the functions of the IWC. Iceland begins commercial whaling under objection, issuing quotas for 30 minke whales and 9 fin whales, in addition to the whales taken under its "scientific whaling" programme. |
| 2007 | Iceland kills 7 fin whales and 1 minke whale in the 2006-7 season. Japan plans to hunt 50 humpback whales under their scientific whaling programme, but delays their final decision until the 2008 IWC meeting |
| 2008 | Formal meetings on the ‘Future of the IWC’ are held |
