Whale Hunting To Begin Again In Iceland After A Two-Year Break

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In Iceland, it is a unique company, Hvalur h / f, which hunts fin whales for commercial purposes. The Japanese market is very fond of this species of whale, it is mainly exported from Iceland to Japan, while the whale is considered in danger since 1996 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

For two years, a break had been instituted, even though other whale species such as the Minke whale could still be hunted. This was motivated by a decline in whale consumption in Japan and by health limitations. Hvalur h / f announced that the whaling season would resume as early as June 10, 2018, following a relaxation by the Japanese of their import conditions, favoring trade. The University of Iceland has also expressed interest, in order to develop medication made of whale meat.

The International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986, which was rejected by Iceland, which resumed in 2006. Today, Norway also does so, as does Japan, which officially does not fish whale only for scientific purposes.

Could massive citizen mobilization in Iceland reduce whaling? Nothing is less certain, as the export of the whale to Japan is profitable.