Icelandic whaling company Hvalur hf. has reportedly called off the whaling season this summer, according to news reports.
The company’s employees were informed last week that there would be no season.
Neither minke nor fin whales were hunted in 2024, despite Bjarni Benediktsson, who was serving as Minister of Food at the time, issuing a five-year whaling permit in December 2024.
This was put in place too late for the 2024 season, and now it seems there will be no fin whale hunt in 2025 either.
Company CEO Kristján Loftsson told Icelandic media:
“Given the current economic situation, Hvalur HF sees no other option but to stay docked and wait for better days. The situation will be reassessed next year.”
Japan’s economic situation is the main reason for the season’s cancellation, according to Loftsson:
“The product price developments in our main market, Japan, have been unfavourable recently and are getting worse. The price of our products is now so low that it is not justifiable to hunt.”
IFAW’s Director of Marine Conservation Sharon Livermore lauded the move:
“Fin whales have been granted a lifeline, being spared from the deadly harpoons in Icelandic waters this summer. While this is a positive sign, there is no time to let our guard down as this could be a short-lived triumph. Unused killing quotas can be carried over to subsequent years, plus minke whaling is still on the table.
“We’ve been on tenterhooks since the interim government rushed through a surprise five-year whaling permit at the end of last year. Throughout, we’ve done everything in our power to prevent the hunt from progressing.”
She continued:
“We are optimistic that the end is in sight and that we could see the final curtain call for Icelandic whaling in the coming months. But the only way to truly ensure that whales are protected is to have this bloody business abolished for good.”
