Shortly before the first hunters set sail, the government of Iceland decided to postpone whaling until August 31. The government explains that there are doubts whether hunting can be reconciled with animal protection.
A board of animal protection experts had to check whether whaling is compatible with Icelandic animal protection legislation. That turned out not to be the case. Killing the animals last season took too long, says an inspection report. “If animal welfare requirements cannot be guaranteed, this activity has no future,” said Iceland’s fisheries minister.
According to the experts, it is necessary to postpone the start of the season. In practice, this may mean that no whales will be caught in Iceland this year. The hunting season normally lasts from mid-June to September.
Iceland, together with Norway and Japan, is one of the few countries that still engages in commercial whaling, although for years hardly any animals have actually been caught for their meat. Minister Svandís Svavarsdótir said last month that she wondered whether it is sustainable to continue whaling. “The percentage of whales that continue to suffer severely from the injuries is simply too high,” it sounds.
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