Commercial whaling causes immense welfare suffering. The International Whaling Commission moratorium has protected most whale populations, but hunting by Japan, Norway, and Iceland continues.
Commercial whaling inflicts significant welfare harm on individual whales and their social groups. Explosive harpoon death is not instantaneous for all struck whales — some are wounded and die slowly. Whale social complexity means that kills affect group cohesion and the welfare of surviving associates. Whale watching tourism provides sustainable economic alternatives that have replaced whaling income in most countries. Maintaining the IWC moratorium and reducing scientific whaling is the primary policy lever for whale welfare protection.