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A Baby Humpback Whale Plays Near the Surface in Blue Water

New report by Deloitte and WDC does a deep dive into the opportunities for businesses in embracing oceanic biodiversity

Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and Deloitte have released a new report that shines a...
Nets set in Norway to catch minke whales

Minke whale dies before cruel hearing experiments begin

Nets set in Norway to catch minke whales A cruel and pointless experiment to test...
WDC joins local protesters on anti whaling march in Iceland

Pressure mounts in Iceland as latest survey shows majority of local people want whale hunting to end

WDC joins local protesters on anti whaling march in Iceland For the first time, those...

New government marine wildlife code to help reduce dolphin disturbance

The launch today by UK Government of new guidance on how to act responsibly around...
All policy news
  • All policy news
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Stop whaling
  • Strandings
Sperm whale © Douglas Hoffman

Featured policy news item

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc magna elit, gravida at lectus vitae,...
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Holiday giant Thomas Cook stops selling tickets to Seaworld and Loro Parque

Holiday giant Thomas Cook stops selling tickets to Seaworld and Loro Parque Following a three...

Endangered Southern Resident orca loses newborn calf

In heartbreaking news from the Pacific Northwest, the Center for Whale Research has reported that...
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U.S. Defense Bill weakens protections for whales

24 July 2018, Plymouth, MA: The FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act conference report was released...

Doubts remain after Icelandic Marine Institute claims slaughtered whale was a hybrid not a blue

Experts remain sceptical of initial test results issued by the Icelandic Marine Institute, which indicate...
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Did Icelandic whalers really kill a blue whale?

*Warning - this blog contains an image that you may find upsetting* They say a...
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One step closer to more salmon for endangered Southern Resident orcas

On June 28, 2018, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) filed “The Definite Plan” for...
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Narwhals and Bowhead whales threatened by new Arctic shipping routes

A NASA-funded study has warned that marine creatures like whales and dolphins will be exposed...
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Japan set to resume commercial whaling

Reports from Japan suggest that the government they will formally propose plans to resume commercial...
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Iceland flouts international ban to slaughter first protected fin whale of new hunting season

Icelandic whaling company Hvalur hf has slaughtered an endangered fin whale today in defiance of...
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Southern Resident orca L92 missing as community returns to the Salish Sea

We are very sad to share news announced today by the Center for Whale Research...
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New actions in the Northwest to help Southern Resident orcas and salmon

As the Washington State Task Force starts to examine threats to the endangered Southern Resident...
All news
  • All news
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Corporates
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
  • Stranding
  • Whale watching
A Baby Humpback Whale Plays Near the Surface in Blue Water

New report by Deloitte and WDC does a deep dive into the opportunities for businesses in embracing oceanic biodiversity

Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and Deloitte have released a new report that shines a...
Nets set in Norway to catch minke whales

Minke whale dies before cruel hearing experiments begin

Nets set in Norway to catch minke whales A cruel and pointless experiment to test...
WDC joins local protesters on anti whaling march in Iceland

Pressure mounts in Iceland as latest survey shows majority of local people want whale hunting to end

WDC joins local protesters on anti whaling march in Iceland For the first time, those...

New government marine wildlife code to help reduce dolphin disturbance

The launch today by UK Government of new guidance on how to act responsibly around...
All policy news
  • All policy news
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Stop whaling
  • Strandings
Sperm whale © Douglas Hoffman

Featured policy news item

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc magna elit, gravida at lectus vitae,...
sea_world_orlando_rob_lott

Holiday giant Thomas Cook stops selling tickets to Seaworld and Loro Parque

Holiday giant Thomas Cook stops selling tickets to Seaworld and Loro Parque Following a three...

Endangered Southern Resident orca loses newborn calf

In heartbreaking news from the Pacific Northwest, the Center for Whale Research has reported that...
srkw_shoup_2003_text

U.S. Defense Bill weakens protections for whales

24 July 2018, Plymouth, MA: The FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act conference report was released...

Doubts remain after Icelandic Marine Institute claims slaughtered whale was a hybrid not a blue

Experts remain sceptical of initial test results issued by the Icelandic Marine Institute, which indicate...
f0k5103-2

Did Icelandic whalers really kill a blue whale?

*Warning - this blog contains an image that you may find upsetting* They say a...
iron_gate_dam_klamath

One step closer to more salmon for endangered Southern Resident orcas

On June 28, 2018, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) filed “The Definite Plan” for...
monodon_monoceros-wdc3

Narwhals and Bowhead whales threatened by new Arctic shipping routes

A NASA-funded study has warned that marine creatures like whales and dolphins will be exposed...
japanese_whaling_2005_-_minke_whales_credit_jeremy_sutton-hibbert_for_use_until_28.2.17_1

Japan set to resume commercial whaling

Reports from Japan suggest that the government they will formally propose plans to resume commercial...
hvalfjordur_035

Iceland flouts international ban to slaughter first protected fin whale of new hunting season

Icelandic whaling company Hvalur hf has slaughtered an endangered fin whale today in defiance of...
l92_dave_ellifrit_cwr

Southern Resident orca L92 missing as community returns to the Salish Sea

We are very sad to share news announced today by the Center for Whale Research...
whale_alert_flag_san_juan_county

New actions in the Northwest to help Southern Resident orcas and salmon

As the Washington State Task Force starts to examine threats to the endangered Southern Resident...

Icelandic whalers breach international law and kill iconic, protected whale by mistake

Icelandic whalers out hunting fin whales for the first time in three years appear to have killed a rare, protected blue whale (or blue/fin hybrid) by mistake.

Images documenting the slaughter of what is an iconic symbol of the natural world have deeply concerned international whale experts and confirm the indiscriminate and cruel nature of whale hunting.


Just before midnight on Saturday, 7th July, the Hvalur hf. fin whaling company landed its 22nd catch of the season at the whaling station at Hvalfjörður, Iceland.

The whale hauled up the slipway immediately caught the attention of Arne Feuerhahn, a German conservationist documenting the hunt as it was strikingly different in appearance to a fin whale.

Whaling company Hvalur hf, lead by CEO, Kristján Loftsson resumed the controversial fin whale hunt on 22nd June after a two year break. The season could see as many as 238 endangered fin whales killed under a self-allocated quota, which defies the international ban on commercial whaling.

Blue whale experts have studied the images of the whale landed last Sunday and conclude that it is a either a male blue whale or a blue/fin hybrid.

Blue whales are the largest creature on the planet. Reaching as much as 33m in length, they are listed as endangered, with a global population estimated at only 10,000 – 25,000 individuals. They have been protected from hunting since 1966 and are the symbol of the mass slaughter that was industrial whaling in the 20th century. It is estimated that up to 90% of the global population of blues was wiped out by commercial whaling operations.

Blue\fin whale hybrids are relatively rare, Icelandic authorities confirm that five hybrids have been identified by researchers since 1986 around Iceland.  Four of these were killed by Icelandic whalers. One has become famous and is very popular with whale watchers off Husavik and was identified as a hybrid using non-lethal methods.

Vanessa Williams-Grey, policy manager at WDC, said: “This incident confirms that whaling is still a serious threat to endangered whales. This industry was out of control in the 20th century and it remains so today. What Kristján Loftsson is doing is nothing short of an environmental crime.”

Arne Feuerhahn, CEO of Hard to Port commented; “This is an unacceptable tragedy that leaves people around the world speechless. It is very unfortunate that the reckless and irresponsible actions of a single individual stain the reputation of this progressive and beautiful country.”

Dr Marianne Rasmussen who heads Project Blue Whale at the University of Húsavík, which maintains a catalogue of 200 blue whales studied off Iceland, commented: “Based on the physical appearance and colouration of the lower jaw and baleen plates, it cannot be a fin whale. The mottled-grey colouration of the body points toward a blue whale, so the whale in question is either a blue whale or a blue/fin hybrid, genetics can confirm this.”

Blue whale experts globally have echoed Dr Rasmussen’s belief,  prompting WDC to contact Icelandic authorities, calling for urgent genetic testing to establish beyond doubt the species involved.

Valgerður Árnadóttir, leader of the Icelandic Vegetarian Society and founder of the group Stop Whaling in Iceland, expressed her utmost concern, saying: “Not only are they killing endangered fin whales but they could also have killed a blue whale: a species protected from hunting for over half a century. The whole business of whaling in Iceland reeks of corruption and there aren’t even any buyers for the meat. In 2016, they had to throw millions of dollars’ worth of whale meat away because it was not even fit for animal consumption.”

WDC is fighting to STOP whaling. DONATE and help.