In 1986, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) imposed a global moratorium on commercial whaling, effectively banning the hunting of most whale species for profit. This landmark decision was the result of decades of advocacy by conservationists and scientists, who had documented the dramatic decline of whale populations. The moratorium remains in place today, with limited exceptions for indigenous subsistence whaling. It set a powerful precedent for international cooperation in the conservation of marine species.

The whaling moratorium has been a powerful theme in contemporary poetry, with writers like W.S. Merwin and Gary Snyder addressing it in their works. The ban also inspired a wave of 'whale poetry' that celebrates the recovery of whale populations and the ethical imperative to protect marine life. The moratorium is frequently referenced in ecocritical literature and environmental writing.