International Whaling Commission

Hello! We are the International Whaling Commission, and you can call us the IWC for short. We are not a person, but a large group of countries from all over the world that have agreed to work together. Our story began a long time ago, in 1946. Back then, people were worried. For many years, large ships had been hunting whales in the oceans. So many whales were being hunted that some kinds, or species, were in danger of disappearing forever. The countries that formed our group knew something had to be done. Our first big job was to manage whaling. This meant we had to create rules for everyone to follow. These rules decided how many whales could be caught, what kinds, and where. The goal was to make sure there would always be whales in the future.

As years passed, our scientists and the people in our member countries learned more and more about whales. They studied how whales communicate, how they travel across the vast oceans, and how they raise their families. They also saw that many whale populations were not getting better. Some were still in great danger. This new knowledge made us realize that just managing the hunting wasn't enough. Our job needed to change. We started to focus more on something called conservation. Conservation means protecting animals and their homes to keep them safe from harm. Our main goal shifted from managing whaling to saving whales.

This new focus on conservation led to a very important decision. In 1982, the countries in our group agreed to put a pause on most commercial whaling. 'Commercial' means hunting whales as a business to sell their meat or other parts. We call this special pause a moratorium. Think of it like a time-out for whaling, to give whale populations a chance to rest and grow. This moratorium officially started in 1986. It was a big step toward making the oceans safer for these giant, gentle creatures. It showed that the world was starting to think differently about protecting our planet's wildlife.

Today, our work is almost entirely about protecting whales and the oceans where they live. We work with scientists who spend their time studying whales. They want to understand everything about them, but especially the challenges they face in the modern world. For example, one of the biggest dangers for whales is getting tangled up in fishing gear that is left in the ocean. Another problem is pollution, like plastic and chemicals, which can make the water dirty and harm the whales. By learning about these threats, we can help countries find solutions to protect them.

While we paused large-scale business whaling, we still allow a very small amount of hunting for certain groups of people. These are indigenous communities that have been hunting whales for thousands of years as part of their traditions and culture. For them, it is an important part of their way of life and how they feed their families. We have careful rules to make sure this is done safely and only a small number of whales are taken, so that the whale populations are not harmed.

So, our work continues every day. From setting rules for hunting long ago to studying the dangers whales face today, our mission has grown and changed. The member countries of the IWC still meet to share what they have learned and make decisions together. Protecting the world's whales is a very big job, but by working as a team, we hope to make sure these magnificent animals can swim freely and safely in our oceans for many, many years to come.