In 1986, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) introduced a ban on commercial whaling.  However Japan, Norway and Iceland want to see this moratorium lifted.

The Global Whaling Alliance (GWA) was set up in 2001 to fight the resumption of commercial whaling.
 
In February 2003, Andy Ottaway and Samantha Dawes from Campaign Whale gave a presentation to APGAW about dolphin hunts taking place in Japan.  Despite repeated criticism from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), Japan continues to kill around 20,000 small whales, dolphins and porpoises each year.  Although Japan receives political protests and threats of sanctions over its ‘scientific whaling’ the slaughter of thousands of small cetaceans continues without international condemnation despite it being as great, if not greater a conservation issue as the hunting of larger whales.