Up until 1986, whale oil was still being used for heavy-duty industrial needs when the International Whaling Commission declared a global moratorium on commercial whaling. Since then, the population of humpback whales in Eastern Australia has risen to 50k, up from just over 100 in 1963.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/1wk4gho/up_until_1986_whale_oil_was_still_being_used_for/