The International Whaling Commission (IWC) established a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1985, but the killing of whales continues. The IWC issues "scientific whaling permits" to governments who request the option of conducting research, but these permits are regularly used to hunt whales for slaughter.
Since 1988 over 10,000 whales have been killed under the IWC "special permit catch" program, with tons of whale meat sold on the open market and not a single scientific breakthrough. This loophole in the ban on whaling, which allows commercial whaling to masquerade as scientific research, must be closed.