Whaling is the act of hunting whales. This is customarily done with harpoons. In previous times, the commercial exploitation of whales was big business, supporting large fleets engaged in their pursuit. With the depletion of the stocks in recent times and general public disapprobation of the hunting of what are considered endangared species, coupled with international legislation, whaling is now only conducted by Japan and Norway who call it "research" and some aboriginal groups for cultural reasons.
The subject of whaling is central to the novel Moby Dick by the USA novelist Herman Melville.
Whaling is regulated by the International Whaling Commission, set up in 1946 by the United Nations International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.
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