Iceland Grants 5-Year License for Companies to Hunt Hundreds of Whales in Its Waters Annually.
This week, the Icelandic Ministry of Food and Agriculture announced that it has permitted the hunting of 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales each year during the hunting season from June to September, according to IFL Science. The license is valid for 5 years and is renewable annually, with 20% of any unused quota transferable to the following year.
Fin whales are the second largest animals on Earth, after blue whales. (Photo: NOAA).
The fin whale hunting license has been granted to Hvalur hf, the largest commercial whaling company in Iceland, while minke whales can be hunted by a gillnet vessel owned by Tjaldtangi ehf. Fin whales are listed as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. They can grow up to 25 meters long, making them the second largest animal on Earth by length, following the blue whale. The minke whale is the smallest whale species, measuring about 7 to 9 meters. Although they are not endangered, many experts express concern about their hunting methods, similar to those used for fin whales.
The Icelandic government emphasizes that the exploitation of marine resources around Iceland adheres to strict regulations, and the total allowable catch is determined based on recommendations from the Marine Research Institute, informed by assessments from the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Council.
However, environmental experts and animal welfare organizations have described this decision as “a disaster for conservation”, arguing that it marks a regression from ongoing conservation efforts in Iceland. “Research shows that whaling is extremely cruel. There is no humane way to kill a whale at sea.” Sharon Livermore, director of the Marine Conservation Program at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, stated.
A few years ago, Iceland appeared to abandon its controversial whaling policy. In June 2023, Icelandic authorities suspended the whaling season just one day before it was set to start, halting fin whale hunts until the end of summer. This abrupt decision followed a report from the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority indicating that whaling often results in a slow and painful death for the animals.
However, in June 2024, the Icelandic government revealed that it had authorized Hvalur hf to kill 99 fin whales in the Greenland/West Iceland area along with 29 whales in East Iceland. Besides Iceland, only two other countries, Norway and Japan, continue to engage in commercial whaling.
