International Whaling Commission
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is an international body established to oversee the regulation of whaling activities. It was founded in 1946 under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, which was signed in Washington, D.C., United States.
1982 Moratorium
In July 1982, the member nations of the IWC held a historic meeting at the Metropole Hotel in Brighton, UK, and agreed to a global ban on commercial whaling. This ban, commonly known as ‘the moratorium’, was one of the most important conservation and welfare decisions of the 20th century and is as important today as it was four decades ago.
By 1982, almost three million great whales had been killed in industrial whaling operations since the start of the 20th century and concerns about the devastation of great whale populations and the extreme cruelty of whaling had galvanized the public and convinced a majority of members of the IWC that the only way to save great whales from extinction was to ban all commercial whaling. Despite strong opposition led by Japan, Norway, and Iceland, the ban has remained in place ever since.