Top Bryde'S Whale Fishing Countries

Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni), a medium-sized baleen whale found in warm temperate and tropical oceans, was historically targeted by commercial whaling operations due to its substantial size and valuable oil and meat. Unlike many larger whale species, Bryde’s whales were not heavily hunted until the mid-20th century, when declining stocks of other whales led whalers to seek alternative targets. The top countries involved in Bryde’s whale hunting were Japan and, to a lesser extent, nations such as South Korea and Taiwan. Japan, in particular, continued to hunt Bryde’s whales under the guise of scientific research even after the 1986 International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling, and resumed commercial whaling in 2019, with Bryde’s whales included in their annual catch quotas. Today, international trade in Bryde’s whale products is highly restricted, and the species is protected in most of its range, though limited hunting persists in Japanese waters.

Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.