In 1986, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) implemented a moratorium to stop commercial whaling. Many people believe this would save the whales and put an end forever to the industrial slaughter that has decimated the many different species. Being an animal lover and having just returned from Florida for over a year, I have realized how beautiful and important the ocean and the animals that inhabit it are. In Florida I have seen many different types of ocean species, but I have never seen a whale in real life. And that got me thinking. How protected are these animals? I watched television programs about entire fleets of ships, and even a helicopter, following whaling ships trying to sabotage their efforts to save as many whales as possible. What are the loopholes these whale hunters are devising so they can still kill these majestic creatures? For the exploratory paper I knew I wanted to explore the question further, such as what the US is doing to prevent this, which countries still practice whaling for profit, what makes them so sought after, and how many do you really need for scientific research ? While browsing through articles on the Academic Search Premier on D2L, I found an International Whaling Commission article by Mark Simmonds that caught my eye. The article comments on the practice of whaling and a proposal to the IWC that could lead to the resumption of commercial whaling. If this proposal passes it will mean that the time and millions of dollars spent over the years on conservation will be wasted. Simmonds states: “Even with the memorandum, hundreds of whales are killed every year” (22). That's because the IWC allows nations to grant special permissions to themselves......middle of paper......them, Brita. "Defender of the Seas." E: The environmental magazine 23.1 (2012): 18-25. Premier of academic research. Network. October 30, 2013. Chadwick, Douglas H. "Whatever Happened to 'Save The Whales'?" Sierra 93.4 (2008): 52-72. Premier of academic research. Network. November 12, 2013.Simmonds, Mark and Sue Fisher. "Save the whales, not the whalers." New Scientistd206.2755 (2010): 22-23. Premier of academic research. Network. November 12, 2013.Freeman, MMRAlger, Jeff. "Inuit, whaling and sustainability (book)". Electronic GreenJournal (2000): N.PAG. MasterFILEPremier. Network. November 14, 2013Simons, Marlise "Court Hears Arguments on Japan's Whaling." The New York TimesA4 of the June 27, 2013 New York editionStix, Gary. "The Birdman of Baghdad." Scientific American 304.2 (2011): 24.Academic Search Premier. Network. November 15, 2013Elefante, Julie “What are whales for today” (2013): 1-3