There will be no whaling conducted in Icelandic waters this summer, neither of minke whale nor of fin whales. RÚV reports that this will be the first time in 17 years that whaling has not been conducted in Iceland during the summer season.
Whaling resumed in Iceland in 2003, after a 14-year hiatus. When it started again, it was for scientific purposes. Commercial whaling then resumed again in 2006. Minister of Fisheries Kristján Þór Júlíusson issued an authorization in February which allowed for fin and minke whaling to continue until 2023, although whaling regulations are to be renewed every five years. The Marine and Freshwater Institute has recommended a maximum annual quota of 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales; this official annual quota will be valid from 2018 to 2025.
The decision to suspend whaling this summer stems from commercial, rather than specifically ethical reasons or protests. For instance, Kristján Loftsson, the CEO of Hvalur hf, the only company to hunt fin whales, announced earlier this month that Hvalur would not be whaling this summer, but made a point of saying that the decision had nothing to do with the Greenpeace ship Esperanza docked in Reykjavík harbour.
Initially, Kristján said that the decision to suspend whaling this summer was based on the fact that the company’s permits did not arrive until February, which he said was too late to allow for the necessary ship maintenance. More recently, Kristján has added that conditions on the Japanese market, where all of Hvalur’s fin whale catch is exported, have not been profitable enough to make whaling worth it this season.
Gunnar Bergmann Jónsson, the CEO of IP útgerð, which focuses on the domestic market, echoed Kristján’s sentiments. “As the situation stands right now, it doesn’t suit us [to whale this season]” he remarked. “So we made the decision to skip it.” IP útgerð will instead focus its efforts this summer on harvesting sea cucumbers. Gunnar explained that he would be importing Norwegian whale meat to address local demand and said that his company plans to resume whaling again next spring.
The Marine and Freshwater Institute also confirmed that there would be no whaling for research purposes this summer.
