Fin whaling in Iceland resumes
Two whaling ships have left port in Iceland to hunt fin whales for the first time in two years despite dwindling support within the country for this brutal and outdated practice.
The first of up to 150 fin whales have already been hunted down and killed by Iceland's only remaining fin whaling company, Hvalur hf.
It was hoped that a previous suspension of these hunts by Iceland's government due to animal welfare concerns would bring the cruel practice to an end. An official report from Iceland's own Veterinary authority found that the exploding harpoons used to kill whales could cause prolonged suffering and failed to meet Iceland's own welfare standards. Studies show that a whale can take up to 20 minutes to die after being shot with one of these harpoons.
Iceland, Norway and Japan are the three countries that still openly hunt whales for commercial profit, despite international ban.
The fin whale is the second-largest being on Earth after the blue whale, and our work to stop their slaughter will continue through support for our partners in Iceland to monitor whaling operations, by gathering more evidence and exposing the reality of the hunts, continuing to build public awareness of the cruelty and reduce any remaining support for the practice in the country. We will also continue our engagement with decision-makers to highlight the environmental, welfare and economic case for ending commercial whaling for good.
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