A Greenpeace volunteer in front of an Icelandic whaler
Commercial whaling during the last century decimated most of the world's whale populations. Estimates suggest that between 1925, when the first whaling factory ship was introduced, and 1975, more than 1.5 million whales were killed in total.
Most fishing gear is not selective. This means that as well as the 'target' species of fish it catches, any number of 'non-target' species may also be hauled in. This 'incidental' catch of other species is referred to as 'bycatch'.
Globally, it's estimated that a quarter of what is caught is wasted - thrown back into the sea dead because it has no commercial value. Fishing quotas mean that fishermen targeting a particular species or size of fish will throw back any 'non-target' or 'too small' fish that they catch.
One of the ironies of the fight to end commercial whaling is that over the past decade whale watching has shown the potential to become far more profitable than whaling ever was. It is already generating a staggering $1.25 billion per year globally.
Whale watching takes advantage of the fact that most whales are migratory, moving around the oceans at different times of the year to breed and feed. Much of this migration takes place in coastal waters, where large whale pods can often be clearly seen, either from small boats or from the shore.
Japanese whalers operating in Antarctic waters today blasted Greenpeace volunteers with powerful water cannons after a helicopter captured rare footage of a whale being harpooned.
A new film compilation of Antarctic whaling - shot from the Greenpeace ship MV Arctic Sunrise - premieres today on video screens around the world, in a Greenpeace global day of action against whaling.
Greenpeace protesters alongside a dead whale are dragged inside a whaling ship
CITES All trade in endangered species is governed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Following the IWC's announcement of a whaling moratorium in 1982, CITES classified the great whales as protected species, and outlawed international trade in whale products.
A return to full-scale commercial whaling could be just a hair's breadth away. Although the 1986 moratorium on whaling dramatically reduced the number of whales being caught, hunting still goes on. Now Norway and Japan are seeking to remove the protected status of whales and resume international trade. This would be a disaster for whales. In response to this threat. Greenpeace is demanding an end to all commercial whaling, once and for all. All whale species must be permanently protected.
Greenpeace protest to stop whaling in Russian waters
1848: Whaling enters the industrial age with the invention of the exploding harpoon.
1905: The introduction of factory ships leads to massive growth in the whaling industry. These floating processing plants are able to decimate whale populations at the rate of up to 40,000 a year.