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Iceland suspends whaling this summer and prepares its ban

The Icelandic government this week suspended whaling until the end of August in the name of animal welfare, paving the way for an end

By groundreportdesk 24 Jun 2023

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Iceland suspends whaling this summer and prepares its ban

The Icelandic government this week suspended whaling until the end of August in the name of animal welfare, paving the way for an end to the controversial tradition that is now only practised in three countries.

" I have made the decision to suspend whaling " until August 31, Food Minister Svandis Svavarsdottir said, after a report by a government commission established that cetacean hunting does not comply with animal welfare laws from Iceland.

Calls for permanent ban continue

This report from the veterinary authorities underlines that the killing of cetaceans takes too long. The latest videos released by these authorities revealed the horrifying five-hour agony of a whale hunted last year.

"If the government and the (hunting) permit holders cannot guarantee the welfare requirements, this activity has no future," added the minister, implying that this practice is coming to an end, Agence France Press reports.

The fishing license of the country's last remaining whaling company, Hvalur, expires in 2023. The company had already announced that this season would be the last because the activity had lost profitability.

Whaling season in Iceland runs from mid-June to mid-September, but it is unlikely to resume after August 31. Likewise, the annual quotas allow the hunting of 209 fin whales -the second longest marine mammal after the blue whale- and 217 minke whales. But catches have been much lower in recent years due to declining demand for whale meat.

Iceland, Norway and Japan are the only countries that allow whaling.

Growing opposition from the population

"There is no 'humane' way to kill a whale at sea, which is why we urge the minister to ban it permanently," Humane Society International director Ruud Tombrock said in a statement.

"Whales already face so many serious threats in the oceans from pollution, climate change, getting caught in fishing nets and ship strikes, that ending commercial whaling is the only conclusion," he added.

For Robert Read, director of Sea Shepherd UK, the decision is also a "blow" for the other countries that practice it. "If whaling can't be done humanely here <…>, it can't be done humanely anywhere," he said.

Opposition to this practice is now in the majority among the Icelandic population. 51% of Icelanders are opposed (compared to 42% four years ago), according to a poll by the Maskina Institute, the results of which were made public in early June.

Japan, by far the largest market for whale meat, resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after a three-decade hiatus, dramatically reducing the need to import from Iceland.

How many whales are killed each year in Iceland?

Iceland, known for its whaling practices, is experiencing a significant shift in public sentiment towards this controversial activity. Current quotas allow for the killing of 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales per year, but reduced demand for whale meat has led to a decline in catches in recent years.

According to a survey by the Maskina Institute, 51 percent of the Icelandic population now opposes whaling, marking a notable increase from 42 percent from just four years ago. This growing disapproval reflects a change in mindset among the general public.

Concerns have also been raised about the legality and ethics of whaling. The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority recently reported that the time required to kill a whale exceeds the country's legal limits. Haunting videos released by the authority exposed a 2022 whaling hunt that lasted a staggering five hours.

In addition, an independent report commissioned by Minister Svavarsdottir and conducted by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority revealed worrying findings. It revealed that some whales killed during hunts in Iceland endured up to two hours of suffering before dying, in violation of ethical rules. The report indicated that 41 percent of whales experience immense suffering for an average of 11.5 minutes before they disappear.