Iceland’s government proposes permanent whaling ban

The government holds a parliamentary majority and says the measure has considerable political and public support. Fin whales, currently the main target of the country’s whaling industry, are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Commercial whaling resumed in Iceland in 2006 despite an international moratorium introduced in 1986 to protect whale populations.

During this year’s hunting season, 80 fin whales had been caught by 9 September, against a quota of 150. Iceland’s sole remaining whaling company received a five-year licence in 2024. Norway and Japan would remain the only countries conducting commercial whaling.