Iceland to Propose Ban on Commercial Whaling

Iceland intends to propose a law to end commercial whaling, a move that would leave Norway and Japan as the only remaining countries practicing the activity. This announcement marks a reversal in policy for the Icelandic government. According to the World Conservation Union, fin whales, which are the primary target for Icelandic hunters, are classified as endangered. During the current hunting season, which runs from June to the end of September, 80 fin whales had been killed as of September 9. The current quota allows for 150 animals this year. In 2024, a transitional government had granted the country's sole remaining whaling company a five year license.

Iceland, Norway, and Japan have been the only nations to conduct commercial whaling in recent years, defying an international moratorium established in 1986. Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993, and Iceland followed in 2006. Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission in 2019 to resume hunting in its own waters. The moratorium continues to exempt indigenous peoples in regions such as Alaska and Greenland, where whaling remains important for culture and nutrition.