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      1. Priority Species
        1. Whales & Dolphins
          1. Threats
            1. Whaling

Together we can make the world's oceans safe for whales.

Together we can make the world's oceans safe for whales. Learn more about WWF's work to protect whales.

Whaling facts and figures

Japan

Japan has killed 8,201 minke whales in the Antarctic for “scientific purposes” since the moratorium in 1986. A total of 840 whales were killed by Japan under special permit during the 31 years before the moratorium1.

Japan took a total of 866 whales in 2006/07 season:

  • 3 Southern Hemisphere fin whales,
  • 508 Southern Hemisphere minke whales,
  • 197 North Pacific minke whales,
  • 51 North Pacific Brydes whales,
  • 101 North Pacific sei whales,
  • 6 North Pacific sperm whales.2 
The 2005/06 season was the first time Japan had taken fin whales, an endangered species.

Japan have previously announced that in the 2007-08 they will increase their take of fin whales to 50, and also take 50 humpback whales as part of their “scientific whaling” programme.

1) Info from IWC 58 Workshop document on Fin Whales WKM-AWI8

2) Info from IWC website submitted by the Government of New Zealand

Iceland

In 2006/07 Iceland took 60 minke whales under special permit for "scientific whaling", up from 39 in the last season1.

However Iceland announced in October 2006 that in addition to the whales caught for scientific research, they would resume commercial whaling and issued quotas for 30 minke whales and 9 fin whales2.

In the 2006/2007 season, Iceland took 7 fin whales and 1 minke whale under its commercial whaling programme.

1) Info from IWC website
2) Info from Iceland Ministry of Fisheries website

Norway

Norway broke the moratorium in 1993 and resumed commercial whaling. Since then they have taken over 6,879 minke whales under objection1.

Norway took 545 whales in 2006 season.

1) Info from IWC website
Source: 59th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (2007)

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