As its final act, the exiting government of Iceland has given the green light for another five years of commercial whale hunt, until 2029. Only two other countries allow this kind of whale hunt: Norway and Japan.
The Icelandic government announced its decision on its website Government.is. According to the national media two vessels are allowed to annually catch up to 209 fin whales respectively 217 minke whales. The numbers are coming from the advice of the Icelandic Marine Research Institute.
When it comes to the fin whales, 24 were caught last year, and 148 were caught in 2022, media report. Animal rights organisations have protested against at Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson’s final act of governing under this term as Iceland’s leader. | © 2024 Marcel Burger, nordicreporter.com. Featured photo of a fin whale in Canada by Simon Pierre Barrette