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Gray whales were plentiful before βYankee whalersβ decimated the stocks, says CotΓ©. In 1937, the US banned gray whale hunting and in 1972, the gray whale was placed on the endangered species list.
The Makah and the Nuu-chah-nulth honoured the ban on whaling. Dominion Paper
Whaling halted in 1972; however as the article makes clear, whaling started again in the 21st century when the population recovered, then halted again. There is no simple answer.