The last whaling company in Iceland resumes operations after a four-year hiatus.
The carcasses of two fin whales being towed ashore by Hvalur hf. (Photo: Andalou)
Two vessels operated by Hvalur hf departed from the port in Reykjavík at the end of June to commence the whaling season. Dozens of fin whales, the second-largest whale species on Earth after the blue whale, were killed for their meat and other parts.
In a series of images captured at the whaling station in Midsandur village near the Icelandic capital on August 3, workers from Hvalur hf are seen dragging the carcasses of several whales ashore, washing and butchering them with large tools. Although the company hunted a minke whale in 2021, Iceland had not officially permitted commercial whaling for the past four years. However, this hiatus ended in June 2022, allowing Hvalur hf to set sail again. The company’s license will expire next year, and the Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries has announced that they will halt whaling activities in the country.
Workers washing whale carcasses. (Photo: Andalou)
Whaling is regulated by quotas set by the Icelandic Marine and Freshwater Research Institute. This hunting season, Hvalur hf is allowed to hunt 161 fin whales and 217 minke whales. According to Iceland Review, the quotas are based on assessments from the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission and the International Whaling Commission. The company must keep records of all catches.
Despite the steady increase in fin whale populations in Icelandic waters since 1987, the hunting of this species remains controversial. Their global population is estimated to be around 50,000 to 90,000, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Fin whales are classified as “threatened.” The main products from fin whales that Hvalur hf hunts include meat and bones exported to Japan.
Alongside Norway and Japan, Iceland is one of the few countries that still engage in commercial whaling. Conservation experts hope that Iceland’s whaling industry will close by 2024 when Hvalur hf’s license expires. Demand for whale meat from Iceland has been declining since Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission and revived its commercial whaling industry in 2019.
