Industrialized Whalers Kill 3 Million Whales in 20th Century

Two scientists for NOAA Fisheries and a Science Director for the New Bedford Whaling Museum have worked together to determine the number of whales killed during industrial whale hunts in the 20th century.

The Whaling Museum's Robert Rocha says the number is a staggering three million....

The scientists say one of the key challenges in producing the study was finding reliable records documenting actual catches in places like the North Pacific.

During their research the scientists confirmed that the former Soviet Union vastly under-reported their industrial whale kills after World War Two.

According to the International Whale Commission, the Soviets reported the number of North Pacific Right Whales taken was 11, but new research showed the number was actually 762.