Iceland plans to permanently ban commercial whaling
The Icelandic government plans to submit a bill to parliament in February on a permanent ban on whaling. If it is adopted, Norway and Japan may remain the only countries where commercial whaling continues.
The Icelandic government, which holds a parliamentary majority, announced its intention to introduce a permanent ban on whaling on its website. As Cyprus Mail reports, citing Reuters, whaling in the country has for years sparked protests by animal rights advocates and Hollywood celebrities.
Fin whale catches
The current hunting season in Iceland runs from June until approximately the end of September. As of September 9, 80 fin whales had been caught, according to Humane World for Animals, an animal protection organization that tracks such catches. The quota set for this year allows up to 150 fin whales to be killed.
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Fin whales are the main target of Icelandic whaling. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies this species as vulnerable. Wendy Higgins, a representative of Humane World for Animals, said the bill has significant political and public support, and that there are ethical, veterinary, legal and environmental grounds to hope for its success.
Licence and international moratorium
In 2024, Iceland's interim government issued a five-year licence to the country's only remaining whaling company. According to the International Whaling Commission's catch records, in recent years only Iceland, Norway and Japan have engaged in commercial whaling.
The international moratorium on commercial whaling took effect in 1986 to protect whale populations. Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993, and Iceland in 2006. Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission in 2019 and resumed commercial catches in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. The moratorium provides exceptions for Indigenous peoples in certain regions, including Greenland and Alaska, where whale products have important nutritional and cultural significance.
