Iceland Officially Announces an End to Whaling

Iceland is one of only three nations that still hunts whales commercially, along with Norway and Japan. However, the government has now announced that it will stop whaling at the end of 2023. The principal reason is that the demand for whale meat continues to decline globally.

The Guardian: “There are few justifications to authorise the whale hunt beyond 2024,” when current quotas expire, Svandis Svavarsdóttir, a member of the Left Green party, wrote in Morgunblaðið newspaper.... “There is little proof that there is any economic advantage to this activity,” she said."

Svandís also noted that Iceland has paid a price internationally for violating the global whaling ban. It is now widely viewed as a cruel and despicable practice that few want to be associated with. In her announcement, Svandis mentioned that US retail chain Whole Foods had stopped marketing Icelandic products for a time several years ago because of their decision to continue whaling.

With Iceland's decision, Norway and Japan will face increasing pressure to stop whaling. Such pressure is likely to be effective over the next decade because few younger people eat whale meat or support whaling, the industry only survives because of government subsidies, and whale-watching tourism is now far more lucrative.

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By: Don Lam & Curated Content