From an historical perspective, whale hunting can be divided roughly into the two categories of artisanal whaling and commercial whaling. As whaling now faces an anti-whaling movement related to environmental and animal protection as well as the environmental problem of global warming which threatens whales’ very survival, neither of the whaling categories enjoys bright prospects for the future. However, in the interests both of preserving cultural diversity and in providing against an unpredictable future for mankind, the continuity of whaling is necessary and requires future trends to be watched carefully.