Iceland’s whaling industry is about to face an important decision that could decide its future.
On Tuesday June 11, the country’s Food Minister Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir will announce whether or not it will re-issue a license for Hvalur hf, the only Icelandic whaling company left in business, according to Icelandic broadcasting network RÚV.
If they decide not to award a new five-year hunting permit to Hvalur hf, many suspect it may effectively spell the end to the centuries-old whaling industry that’s become deeply controversial in recent times.
Former Food Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir has previously suggested it would be very unlikely that the licenses will be renewed, stating: “the current fishing permits expire in 2023. As things remain, there will be no hunting permits for whales from 2024.”
In June 2023, Icelandic authorities stopped the year’s whaling season one day before it was supposed to start by suspending the hunting of fin whales until the end of summer. The snap decision came after a major report published by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority suggested whaling often results in the animals suffering long, agonizing deaths, and may break the country’s animal welfare laws.
Things became more complicated in January 2024 when the Parliamentary Ombudsman said the sudden suspension of the whaling licenses did not have a “clear enough basis in law”. Seemingly encouraged by the news, Hvalur hf applied to renew its whaling license ahead of the season starting in June.
Now, it’s crunch time for the government – and there’s no clear indication of which way they will fall.
Iceland has a long and complicated relationship with whaling. In 1986, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) agreed to enact a global moratorium on all commercial whaling. Iceland withdrew from the agreement in 1992, before rejoining in 2002 with a reservation to the moratorium. Since the IWC holds no formal power and membership is voluntary, Iceland – as well as other countries, like Norway and Japan – were able to flout the ban and continued whaling in spite of international backlash.
Public opinion has shifted in recent years, though. A recent survey found that 51 percent of Icelanders were opposed to the hunt, while 29 percent were in favor. People over-60 were most in favor and those aged 18 to 29 were most against it.
Although it might seem like the world is moving away from whale hunting, a precedent has been set by another major whaling nation.
In May 2024, the Government of Japan announced that whalers will now be allowed to hunt fin whales, bringing the number of commercial whaling species in the country to four, along with minke whales, Bryde’s whales, and sei whales. To show that they mean business, Japan also unveiled a brand-new whaling factory ship, worth somewhere to the tune of $48 million.
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