Iceland will present a whaling bill in February that could include a permanent ban on commercial whaling. If adopted, Iceland would join Norway and Japan as the only countries still practicing commercial whaling. Humane World for Animals reports 80 fin whales taken so far this season (quota: 150), and fin whales are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. The move follows a 2024 five-year licence granted to Iceland's last whaling company.
Iceland Eyes Possible Ban on Commercial Whaling — Norway and Japan Could Be Left Alone
Whaling ships are seen docked at a wharf in Reikjavik January 29, 2009. Iceland said on Tuesday it would allow whaling of fin and minke whales -- a practice opposed by conservationists -- for another five years. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins (ICELAND)
COPENHAGEN, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Iceland's government said it will submit a bill in February to revise the country's whaling law, and one of the options under consideration is a permanent ban on commercial whaling. If enacted, such a ban would leave Norway and Japan as the only countries still conducting commercial whaling.
Whaling in Iceland has drawn years of protests from animal welfare groups and attention from public figures. The government, which holds a parliamentary majority, said on its website that it is weighing several policy options to update the law, with particular focus on the possibility of a permanent prohibition.
During the current hunting season, which runs from June until roughly the end of September, Humane World for Animals reported that 80 fin whales had been taken as of Sept. 9. The season's quota allows for up to 150 fin whales to be killed this year.
"There is considerable political and public support for this bill to ban commercial whaling, and compelling ethical, veterinary, legal and conservation reasons to hope it succeeds," said Wendy Higgins, a spokeswoman for Humane World for Animals.
Fin whales, the main species targeted by Icelandic whalers, are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
In 2024, Iceland's interim government granted a five-year licence to the country's sole remaining whaling company.
International Context
According to the International Whaling Commission's catch records, only Iceland, Norway and Japan have carried out commercial whaling in recent years. Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993 and Iceland restarted it in 2006, despite a global moratorium introduced in 1986 to protect whale populations. Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission in 2019 and now permits commercial whaling within its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.
The 1986 moratorium also contains provisions that allow certain indigenous communities—such as those in Greenland and Alaska—to continue limited whale hunts for nutritional and cultural reasons.
The government plans to present the draft bill in February, with debate and potential passage to follow in the Icelandic parliament.
Reporting: Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing: Anna Ringstrom and Toby Chopra.
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