International Whaling Commission's Moratorium Saves Whale Populations from Extinction
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) implemented a global moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982, which took effect in January 1986. This decision required countries with long-standing whaling traditions to cease hunting whales, a practice that had been integral to their coastal economies and national identities. The moratorium was passed with a three-quarters majority vote, despite opposition from countries like Japan, Norway, and Iceland, which have continued some form of whaling since the late 1980s. The IWC, originally established in 1946 as a 'whaler's club,' has since evolved to include 88 members with a focus on conservation. The moratorium has been credited with preventing the extinction of several whale species, allowing populations to stabilize and, in some cases, grow. 
