Iceland is set to introduce legislation that would permanently ban commercial whaling, a decision that would leave Japan and Norway as the sole nations continuing the practice. The Icelandic government plans to present this bill to parliament in February, aiming to establish a definitive end to commercial whaling after years of public debate and intense opposition from animal welfare and conservation organizations.
The country’s whaling industry has notably targeted fin whales, a species classified as vulnerable. During the hunting season, which spans from June to September, these whales have been caught under a government-sanctioned quota. The proposed legislation has garnered significant support from animal welfare advocates who have long expressed ethical, environmental, and conservation concerns regarding whaling activities.
Iceland’s history with commercial whaling traces back to its resumption in 2006, despite an international moratorium implemented in 1986 aimed at safeguarding whale populations. In contrast, Norway resumed its commercial whaling operations in 1993, while Japan stepped away from the International Whaling Commission in 2019 to continue whaling within its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.
Should Iceland’s proposed ban be enacted, Japan and Norway would stand alone in continuing commercial whaling. The longstanding international moratorium does, however, allow for indigenous communities in certain regions, such as parts of Greenland and Alaska, to hunt whales for nutritional, cultural, and traditional reasons.