Worldwide whale hunting has caused the number of whales on Earth to drop sharply. However, in recent years, some concerned people have been trying to do things to protect these beautiful creatures. These people have been working to convince lawmakers to ban whale hunting in many places. They are especially focusing on Japan, trying to convince them to end their annual whale hunt in the Southern and Pacific Oceans. Another solution is to establish sanctuaries to increase whale populations. Sanctuaries are areas of safety, and are off-limits to whale hunters. Sanctuaries allow whales to breed, feed, and regrow their populations.