Under the Whale Fisheries Act, 1937, the hunting of all whale species, including dolphins and porpoises, is totally banned within the fisheries limits of the State, i.e. out to 200 miles from the coast. The Whale Fisheries Act, 1937, also prohibits the hunting by Irish registered ships of certain whales, including right whales and female whales accompanied by calves, outside of the fisheries limits of the State.
In 1991, Ireland declared its waters a whale and dolphin sanctuary, the first European sanctuary within the fishery limits of an entire country.