Iceland's government plans to introduce a bill in February that would enact a permanent ban on whaling, potentially leaving Norway and Japan as the only two nations continuing the practice globally.
Commercial whaling has been a point of contention for Iceland, attracting years of protests from animal welfare advocates and public figures. The proposed legislation, supported by a majority in parliament, cites ethical, veterinary, legal, and conservation reasons.
Fin whales, the primary species targeted by Iceland's whaling industry, are currently classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In the 2023 hunting season, which concluded around the end of September, 80 fin whales were caught, falling short of the season's quota of 150.
Whaling in Iceland officially resumed in 2006, following Norway's resumption in 1993. Both nations continued whaling despite an international moratorium on the practice that took effect in 1986, established to protect whale populations. The International Whaling Commission's catch list indicates that only Iceland, Norway, and Japan have conducted commercial whaling in recent years.
Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission in 2019 but subsequently restarted commercial whaling within its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. The existing international moratorium does permit whaling by indigenous communities in specific regions, such as Greenland and Alaska, where whale products are integral to their cultural and nutritional needs.