Good news: Iceland’s whaling has been dramatically halted
The Iceland whaling fleet that was about to set off on June 21st has been ordered to stay in port until August 31st by the Icelandic Minister of Food, Svandís Svavarsdóttir.
This decision was based on the advice of an expert panel which reviewed a report on whaling activities conducted last year. The panel’s opinion was received by the Ministry of Food on June 19th , and its conclusion is that the fishing method used when hunting large whales does not comply with the law on animal welfare.
The minister has indicated that this is a postponement, rather than an ongoing ban, and is to allow room to investigate whether it is possible to ensure that the hunting could be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act.
OceanCare welcomes this temporary respite from whaler’s harpoons for fin whales but hopes that this halt will be extended ad infinitum. In 2022, 148 fin whales were killed in Iceland.
Additional Links and Sources
Further background to this situation can be found here: https://www.oceancare.org/en/stories_and_news/iceland-vet-cruelty-whaling/
Source: https://www.mbl.is/200milur/frettir/2023/06/20/veidar_a_langreydum_stodvadar/