Good News: Iceland Company Cancels Fin Whaling for 2025
By Mark J. Palmer
News from Iceland: The billionaire CEO and owner of Iceland’s whaling company, Kristján Loftsson, has announced his company Hvalur hf. will not go whaling for the threatened fin whale, the second largest animal on Earth, only starting to recover from commercial whaling in the North Atlantic.
Iceland has no history of eating whale meat, so most of the whale meat obtained from fin whales is sold to Japan. But Japan’s market for whale meat is continuing to decline, while Japan’s own commercial whaling fleet is now bringing in local whales from within Japan’s 200-mile economic zone. Prices for whale meat in Japan have dropped, too low, says Loftsson, for his company to go whaling.
Opposition to whaling in Iceland is strong, enlisting environmentalists and animal rights groups, including the singer Bjork.
The Icelandic government continues to flip-flop on the whaling issue. A former head of fisheries questioned the economic value and the impact of whaling on Iceland’s standing in international forums, where their whaling has been opposed by many nations.
After several short-term bans, new members of the cabinet restored whaling last fall, offering Hvalur hf. permits to kill 290 fin whales over five years. An additional permit for 217 minke whales was awarded to another whaling company, Tjaldtangi ehf., for five years.
Hopefully, the drop in interest in Japan to buy whale meat will continue, and whaling operations in Iceland and Norway, which both depend on exports to Japan, may well be ending. Japan’s whaling industry relies on substantial subsidies from Japanese taxpayers.
Outside opposition to the whale hunts, along with protests in Iceland, helped in pushing the government to consider the problems invoked by whaling, especially the inhumane aspects of trying to kill huge whales on the high seas with exploding harpoons. A government investigation reached the conclusion that whaling likely violates Iceland’s humane regulations required for the killing of domestic animals for meat.
Commercial whaling must end. Whales have suffered years of persecution, hunting and agonizing deaths. Iceland’s government needs to step up and halt the slaughter.
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The International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute is in the forefront of organizations opposing commercial whaling by Japan, Iceland and Norway. Cetaceans should be protected globally and no longer subjected to killings for products for which there are substitutes. Eating lower on the food chain is an important aspect of protecting the Earth. This Earth Week, please donate to IMMP to help whales and dolphins around the world. Thank you!
