Very disappointing news. Iceland is to resume killing fin whales after the island’s government has allowed the hunt (which was temporarily banned in June due to animal welfare) to commence Friday September 1st. Minister of Fisheries Svandís Svavarsdóttir is to issue a new regulation on whaling to include stricter requirements on hunting methods and increased supervision, however, no amount of changes will stop the cruelty behind this industry. In a report issued in May by Iceland’s Food and Veterinary Authority, it was estimated that 67% of the 58 whales caught by boats it monitored died or lost consciousness quickly or immediately but said 14 whales were shot more than once, and two were shot four times before they died.
It has been reported that one of the whaling vessels owned by Hvalur hf. the only whaling company still operating in Iceland, sailed out of Reykjavík harbour earlier this week to begin searching for whales in the south, southwest and west of the country. The Food and Veterinary Authority and the Directorate of Fisheries will work together over the coming months to supervise the hunts, and at the end of the 2023 whaling season will send a report to the Ministry of Fisheries.
