American whaling in the 19th century was certainly destructive, but it was not as devastating as Japanese whaling in the 20th century

In the 19th century, American whalers hunted primarily for sperm whales, which were abundant in the North Atlantic. By the early 20th century, sperm whale populations had declined significantly, and American whalers began to focus on other species, such as gray whales and humpback whales.

Japanese whaling, on the other hand, was focused primarily on right whales. Right whales are slow-moving and docile, making them easy targets for whalers. In the early 20th century, Japanese whalers hunted right whales in the North Pacific, driving them to the brink of extinction.

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established in 1946 to regulate whaling. In 1986, the IWC imposed a moratorium on commercial whaling. However, Japan has continued to hunt whales under the guise of scientific research.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 2014 that Japan's whaling program was not for scientific purposes, but was instead commercial whaling in disguise. Japan has since scaled back its whaling program, but it still hunts whales in the Antarctic.

The decline of whale populations is a serious problem. Whales play an important role in the marine ecosystem, and their loss could have a cascading effect on other species. It is important to protect whales and ensure that they are not hunted to extinction.

 -Unlikely Buddha