Iceland ’s whaling industry is about to present an important decision that could resolve its future .
On Tuesday June 11 , the state ’s Food Minister Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir will annunciate whether or not it will re - issue a license for Hvalur hf , the only Icelandic whaling fellowship go forth in patronage , according to Icelandic broadcast medium networkRÚV .
If they decide not to award a new five - year hunting permit to Hvalur atomic number 72 , many distrust it may effectively spell the ending to the centuries - old whaling industry that ’s become deeply controversial in recent time .
Former Food Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir haspreviously suggestedit would be very unlikely that the licence will be renew , posit : " the current sportfishing permit expire in 2023 . As thing stay on , there will be no hunting Trachinotus falcatus for whales from 2024 . "
Things became more complicated in January 2024 when the Parliamentary Ombudsmansaidthe sudden suspension of the whale licenses did not have a “ absolved enough base in law ” . Seemingly encouraged by the news , Hvalur hf applied to renew its whaling license ahead of the time of year starting in June .
Now , it ’s crunch metre for the government – and there ’s no open indication of which direction they will fall .
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Iceland has a tenacious and complicated relationship with whaling . In 1986 , the International Whaling Commission ( IWC ) agree to ordain a global moratorium on all commercial whaling . Iceland withdraw from the accord in 1992 , before rejoin in 2002 with a mental reservation to the moratorium . Since the IWC holds no stately power and membership is voluntary , Iceland – as well as other countries , like Norway andJapan – were able to jeer the ban andcontinued whalingin spite of international backlash .
Public opinion has shifted in recent years , though . Arecent surveyfound that 51 percent of Icelanders were opposed to the hunt , while 29 percent were in favor . People over-60 were most in favor and those aged 18 to 29 were most against it .
Although it might seem like the world is moving off from whale hunting , a precedent has been set by another major whaling state .
In May 2024 , the Government of Japan announced that whalerswill now be permit to hunt down fin whales , contribute the number of commercial-grade whaling species in the res publica to four , along with minke hulk , Bryde ’s whale , and sei whales . To show that they signify business organization , Japan also reveal abrand - new whaling mill ship , worth somewhere to the strain of $ 48 million .
