The current economic importance of this whale is questionable. However, in the past, these large whales provided a great deal of income to the whaling industry. It cannot be stressed enough, however, that the positive economic effects of hunting this animal have been acheived only by large scale decimation of Sei whale populations. By overharvesting the whales, the whaling industry experienced a short term economic gain at a long term cost-- the reduction in the number of whales available for harvest.