Shortly before the first ships set sail for this year’s hunting season, the Icelandic government temporarily stopped whaling for more than two months with immediate effect. Food and Fisheries Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir has decided to suspend fin whale hunting until August 31, her ministry said on Tuesday. The reason for this is doubts as to whether hunting is compatible with animal welfare. Whale conservationists hope the decision will mark a crucial turning point – and put a permanent end to Icelandic whaling.
An inspection report by the Icelandic Veterinary Authority concluded that the killing of the animals last season took longer than allowed, the ministry said. As a result, an expert council for animal welfare was commissioned to examine whether whale hunting was at all compatible with Iceland’s animal welfare law. In a statement, the Council concluded that the method used to capture large whales was not in accordance with the law. In view of this assessment by the experts, it is necessary to postpone the start of the whaling season.
No more whaling this year?
In practice, the decision could even mean that no whales will be caught in Iceland at all this year: Normally, the hunting season runs from around mid-June to September. In any case, Svavarsdóttir has already made it clear: “This activity cannot be continued in the future if the authorities and license holders cannot ensure that animal welfare requirements are met.” According to the ministry, the decision should now give leeway to determine possible improvements and legal framework conditions for further restrictions on whaling.
A representative of the whaling company Hvalur recently told the trade journal “Fiskifrettir” that if the weather cooperates, the hunting season will begin this Wednesday. Hvalur therefore had the necessary documents and licenses together.
The North Atlantic island of Iceland is one of the few countries in the world where whales can still be hunted. Last year 148 fin whales were caught. Almost all whale meat is exported to Japan, according to animal welfare organizations. Global demand is therefore declining. The animal rights activists hope that the hunt for the marine mammals will come to an end after the end of the catch quotas up to and including 2023.
Hope for the end of the whale hunt
The decision that has now been made by Svavarsdóttir gives these hopes even more fuel. “We hope that this decision will put an end to whale hunting in Iceland,” said Astrid Fuchs of the whale and dolphin protection organization WDC. And not only that: “In addition, this decision could also pave the way for the cessation of whaling in Norway and Japan.”
Pro Wildlife’s Sandra Altherr said anything other than halting whaling for this season was unjustifiable given Iceland’s damning assessment of animal welfare officials. “We are relieved that the second largest animal on earth will be able to roam the oceans in the future without the risk of being killed by explosive harpoons.”
The animal welfare organization IFAW praised the Icelandic government for the “bold step” it took. “This is the death knell for commercial whaling in Iceland and a key moment for whale conservation,” said IFAW Marine Conservation Officer Patrick Ramage. The hunting season for the whalers is thus already over before the ships have even left the port.
