The Icelandic administration grants permission for hunting fin whales.
The Icelandic government has granted a hunting license to the final whaling company in the country, in spite of objections from environmental activists. The organization Hvalur had filed an application for a new five-year permit for the highly debated whaling process in January, as its previous one had expired. The government of Reykjavik announced on Tuesday that this new authorization is legitimized for the capture of 128 fin whales in the 2024 whaling season and has 33 lesser creatures than the preceding season.
Fin whales are the second biggest sea dwellers after blue whales. Whaling is frequently frowned upon in numerous nations, but only Iceland, Norway, and Japan continue to condone it. However, the demand for Icelandic whale meat has lessened, leading to a different whaling business being compelled to give up in 2020 as whaling on these mammals was no more profitable.
The Icelandic government indicated that they issued the license based on professional evaluations. "This choice is in concert with the proposal of the Institute for Marine and Inland Water Research from 2017, and considers the aspects regarding the preservation of ecosystems of the International Whaling Commission," the government declared.
The whaling period in Iceland usually occurs from mid-June to September. The fresh permit is valid for 99 whales in the Greenland/West Iceland region and 29 more in the East Iceland/Faroe Islands district.
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Despite international warnings against the practice, the Icelandic government issued a hunting license for Fin whales to the final whaling company operating in the country. This decision was made despite objections from environmental activists. The new permit allows for the capture of 128 Fin whales during the 2024 whaling season, a decrease from the previous season.
