Welcome to the IWC

The International Whaling Commission is the global body charged with the conservation of whales and the management of whale hunting.  It is set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling signed in 1946.  The Commission has a current membership of 89 Governments from countries around the World.

In 1986 the Commission introduced zero catch limits for commercial whaling.  This provision is still in place today, although the Commission continues to set catch limits for aboriginal subsistence whaling.

As well as keeping whale catch limits under review, the Commission works to promote the recovery of depleted whale populations by addressing a range of specific issues.  These include ship strikes, entanglement events, environmental concerns and establishing protocols for whalewatching.

The pages on this website provide detailed information about the Commission, its meetings, decisions and its current work to conserve and manage whale populations throughout the world.