Victory! This alert made a difference for animals! Learn more.

Despite temporarily suspending its whaling season last year following an alarming report that exposed horrifying cruelty, Iceland has just announced it will renew a one-year license putting 128 fin whales in the crosshairs of exploding harpoons. Please join us in calling on Iceland to put an end to this inhumane practice!

The license issued by Iceland's Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir, permits the hunting and killing of 99 whales in the Greenland - West Iceland region and 29 whales in the East Iceland - Faroe Islands region, for a total of 128 fin whales.

The issuing of this permit is a massive disappointment after an independent report documenting the cruelty of the hunt published last year by Iceland's Food and Veterinary Authority led to a suspension of the 2023 season. The report revealed the hunt did not comply with the country's animal welfare legislation. Whales were documented suffering long and painful deaths. Of 58 whales whose 2022 deaths were examined, two took up to two hours to die, while 41% of the whales suffered for an average of 11.5 minutes before dying. Eleven of them were pregnant, and one was lactating, leaving a calf with little to no chance of surviving.

Despite implementing new regulations, the latest report found no improvement in the 2023 hunt, with whales still suffering prolonged deaths.

Globally, whales are already facing a number of threats, ranging from the climate crisis and pollution to ship strikes and entanglement. Fin whales are beautiful, gentle animals who are members of an important species to the ocean and who are particularly at risk. They are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Considering the vulnerability of this species,a decline in the approval of whaling, and that this industry stands to harm a growing tourism industry that involves whale watching, it is time for Iceland to end this cruel and unnecessary practice.

Letter to Decision Maker(s) for reference:

Subject: End Iceland’s Commercial Whaling! | Stöðvum hvalveiðar Íslendinga í atvinnuskyni!

As someone who is concerned with wildlife and the environment and one of over 250,000 In Defense of Animals supporters, I am writing to urge you to permanently end Iceland’s participation in commercial whaling. 

There is a global moratorium on commercial whaling and most of the world, including most Icelanders, agree that whales are beautiful and gentle animals who should not be hunted. Whales hunted in Iceland suffer immensely and endure prolonged periods of agony when killed, some taking two hours to die. It is shameful that after a report documenting the brutality of the hunts in Iceland was released last year, your country is letting them resume this year. Fin whales are members of a vulnerable species who should be protected, not viciously hunted every year. 

Tourism is a large part of Iceland’s economy and whale watching is a huge draw for tourists. I urge you to end the country’s commercial whaling and instead focus on whale watching as a way to celebrate Iceland’s connection to whales. This could not only benefit the environment and the whales but also the economy. 

Thank you for your compassion and attention to this issue.

 
Þar sem ég hef áhyggjur af dýralífi og umhverfismálum og er einn af 250.000 stuðningsmönnum  samtakanna „In Defense of Animals„ skrifa ég til þín og langar að hvetja þig til að hætta þátttöku  Íslands í hvalveiðum í atvinnuskyni, til frambúðar.

Nú ríkir alþjóðleg, tímabundin stöðvun á hvalveiðum í atvinnuskyni og flestir í heiminum, þar á  meðal flestir Íslendingar, eru sammála um að hvalir séu falleg og blíð dýr sem ekki ætti að veiða.  Hvalir sem veiddir eru á Íslandi þjást gríðarlega og þola langvarandi kvalir þegar þeir drepast,  sumir eru tvær klukkustundir að drepast. Það er skammarlegt að þrátt fyrir skýrsluna sem kom út í  fyrra, sem skjalfestir grimmd veiðanna á Íslandi, heimilar landið þitt að þær hefjist að nýju á þessu  ári. Langreyðar eru viðkvæm tegund sem ætti að vernda, ekki veiða með grimmilegum hætti á  hverju ári.

Ferðaþjónusta er stór hluti af efnahagslífi Íslands og hvalaskoðun er stórt aðdráttarafl fyrir  ferðamenn. Ég hvet ykkur til að binda enda á hvalveiðar landsins í atvinnuskyni og einbeita ykkur  frekar að hvalaskoðun sem leið til að fagna tengslum Íslands við hvali. Þetta myndi ekki bara  gagnast umhverfinu og hvölunum heldur líka hagkerfinu. 

Þakka þér fyrir samúð þína og athygli á þessu máli.

Sincerely,

Signed

Victory! This alert made a difference for animals! Learn more.