August 31st 2023.
Iceland has lifted a temporary ban on whaling, allowing hunting to resume under stricter regulations. Animal rights groups have expressed dismay over the decision, calling it "shameful".
The International Whaling Commission, a global body that oversees whale conservation, imposed a moratorium on whaling in 1986 after some species came close to extinction. Despite this, Iceland, along with Norway and Japan, have resumed commercial whaling.
The Reykjavík government suspended commercial whaling in June after a government-commissioned report found that it took too long for whales to die after they were harpooned, sometimes hours, in breach of its law on animal welfare. After a government working group concluded that it was possible to improve the hunting methods, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries issued a Regulation with stricter requirements for hunting equipment and hunting methods, as well as increased supervision.
Iceland’s public broadcaster said whale hunters would be required to complete a course in whale biology, pain perception and stress and would be provided with detailed instructions of how to harpoon the animals to make sure that they die quickly.
Humane Society International, an animal welfare advocacy group, condemned the move as a ‘devastating’ rejection of an opportunity to ‘do the right thing’. Micah Garen, a climate campaigner and director of a documentary called ‘The Last Whaling Station’, said: ‘Hardly anyone eats here in Iceland. People don’t want this, people don’t want the killing of these animals.’ He said he and others are considering taking legal action to block the practice.
The debate surrounding the resumption of whaling in Iceland is an emotive one, and understandably so. The potential suffering of the animals involved, as well as the impact on whale populations, is an important consideration. While the new regulations are intended to reduce suffering, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to assuage the concerns of animal rights groups. For now, the future of whaling in Iceland remains uncertain.
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