Iceland’s government announced on Tuesday that it had issued a license to hunt 128 fin whales for the only whaling company in the country, despite widespread criticism of the practice.
In addition to Iceland, Norway and Japan are the only countries that permit commercial whaling, facing strong opposition from animal rights activists.
Hvalur, the last remaining whaling group in Iceland, applied for a five-year permit to hunt whales after its previous license expired.
Another company stopped whaling operations in 2020, citing lack of profitability.
The government stated that the new license, valid for the 2024 season, allows the hunting of 128 fin whales, which are the second-largest marine mammals after blue whales, a decrease from 161 whales allowed in the previous year.
Referring to the decision, the government said, “This aligns with the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute’s advice from 2017 and takes into consideration the conservative ecosystem factors of the International Whaling Commission.
It is a precautionary measure that reflects the government’s focus on sustainable resource utilization.”
Whaling in Iceland usually occurs between mid-June and September.
Under the new license, 99 whales can be hunted in the Greenland/West Iceland region and 29 whales in the East Iceland/Faroe Island region, according to the government.
In June 2023, the country suspended whaling for two months following a government inquiry that found the hunting methods did not comply with animal welfare laws.
The government’s veterinary agency observed that the explosive harpoons used by hunters caused prolonged suffering to the whales, with the hunt lasting up to five hours after harpooning.
– ‘Shameful’ –
In October, Hvalur reported that the shortened 2023 season, lasting three weeks, resulted in 24 whales being killed.
Whalers have previously struggled to meet quotas.
The Humane Society International charity had urged Iceland to end whaling permanently, amid uncertainty over whether the food and agriculture minister would grant a license for the 2024 season.
“It is disheartening that Minister Gunnarsdottir has disregarded scientific evidence showing the cruelty of commercial whale hunting and allowed the killing of whales for another year,” said Adam Peyman from Humane Society International, calling the decision a “new shameful chapter in conservation history.”
“Whales already face numerous threats in the oceans, and fin whales hunted by Iceland’s whaling fleet are globally vulnerable to extinction,” Peyman added.
The CEO of Hvalur, Kristjan Loftsson, did not respond to a request for comment.
A survey by the Maskina institute in June found that 51% of Icelanders oppose whaling, up from 42% in a poll four years earlier.
Iceland has historically relied on fishing and whaling, but its tourism industry, including whale watching tours, has grown significantly in the last two decades.
Japan, the largest market for whale meat, resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after a 30-year break, decreasing the need for imports from Iceland.
str-nzg/jll/js
