Facts about Whaling and Its Impact
- 05
Whaling fleets historically targeted right whales so intensively that the species was named for being the 'right' whale to hunt, nearly wiping them out.
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Humpback whale populations in the Southern Hemisphere were severely depleted by 20th-century whaling, and recovery has been slow despite decades of protection.
- 03
Sperm whales were prized by whalers for spermaceti, a waxy substance from their heads used extensively in candles, lubricants, and lamp oil.
- 02
The International Whaling Commission, established in 1946, introduced a global moratorium on commercial whaling that took effect in 1986.
- 01
Commercial whaling drove blue whale populations to the brink of extinction, reducing their numbers by an estimated 90 percent before international protections were established.