Iceland’s season of slaughter is about to begin—time is running out to save whales

After years of back and forth, it seemed like last year we were finally teetering on the edge of victory for whales in Iceland. The previous government was scrutinising whaling, setting up monitoring on vessels, and reviewing the animal welfare implications of the outdated industry.

Things were moving in the right direction, and we were optimistic that this time, we would witness the end of whaling for good.

A major setback

In December 2024, the Green Party were pushed out of the government coalition, and the interim government came in to hold down the fort until the new government was formed. Despite their limited remit, they chose to rock the boat and controversially, in their few weeks of power, issued five-year whaling permits.

These permits are a death sentence—giving whalers a licence to kill 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales per year. This means 2,130 whales could be slaughtered by 2030.

This was a devastating blow in the fight against commercial whaling. But we can’t let this hamper our efforts to end this cruel and unnecessary industry.

Murky waters

The nature of the permits being issued by an outgoing government was unusual. Several Icelandic NGOs have filed complaints, questioning if this rushed decision was above board. But regardless of the outcome, it’s unlikely they will prevent whaling from happening this year.

The Whale Working Committee set up by the 2020-2024 government is still busy assessing what legal framework would be needed for whaling to continue, how to limit whaling, and how to legally end whaling.

Who is still hunting whales in 2025?

In Iceland, fin whales are hunted solely by Kristján Loftsson's whaling company Hvalur hf., despite whale meat not being lucrative locally. The company attempts to export the meat to Japan, but Japan has been struggling to shift their own stock from the hunts they’ve recently resumed.

Under the new licence, minke whales will be hunted for the first time since 2019 by a small fishing company with just one boat equipped for whaling. Meat from this hunt is likely to be sold locally and will sadly be marketed at tourists wanting an ‘authentic’ Icelandic culinary experience. However, contrary to what tourists are led to believe, whaling is not an ancient Icelandic cultural tradition, and whale meat is not a popular local delicacy. In fact, 84% of Icelanders never eat whale meat.

When the moratorium on commercial whaling came into effect, Iceland initially continued whaling under the guise of science but then adhered to the moratorium from 1990 to 2003. But since 2003, when the country reopened commercial whaling, more than 1,500 fin and minke whales have been brutally killed. Minke whales were hunted up until 2019, and so far, only one has been killed since.

Faxaflói Bay, where whalers would hunt out of Reykjavík, also supported flourishing ecotourism attractions, such as whale watching tours, creating conflict between these two industries. The creation of Faxaflói Bay Whale Sanctuary, which was backed by IFAW, ensured that whaling was no longer viable in this bay and now provides a safe area for both whales and whale watchers. Whale watching in Iceland is estimated to generate US$26 million from 350,000 whale watchers per year.

Recent polling found that 51% of Icelanders are dissatisfied, in contrast to only 35% being satisfied, with the recent decision by the government to resume whaling. When asked if people were for or against whaling being banned by law, 44% said they were in favour of a ban on whaling, while 39% said they were against it.

Icelanders are seeing that whaling makes no sense—commercially, economically, and from a welfare perspective.  

There is no humane way to kill a whale

For the 2022 whaling season, new animal welfare regulations were issued based on Iceland’s Animal Welfare Act, which had previously excluded marine mammals. Whaling vessels were required to have trained vets onboard and had to submit raw footage of their hunts to the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST). 

The following year, MAST issued their report on the 2022 hunting season, with damning results, revealing 40% of whales suffered prolonged, painful deaths.

The grenade-tipped harpoons designed to explode inside the whale’s body—either killing on impact or at least knocking them unconscious—weren’t effective. Over a quarter of the whales had to be harpooned twice before death, and in one case, a whale suffered for two hours before eventually dying. 

The report also found that 73% of the whales were female, 11 of which were pregnant, and one was lactating, leaving her orphaned calf unable to survive. 

The conclusion was clear: there is simply no humane way to kill a whale. 

Take action to save whales

Thousands of whales have suffered agonising deaths at the hands of whalers. While we cannot undo the past, we can help shape the future. IFAW will continue working with allies in Iceland to fight for whales. 

IFAW is mobilising people from around the world by signing our petition and delivering these signatures to Icelandic embassies around the world, we give a voice to the animals who cannot speak up for themselves. We must support Icelanders and the international community’s opposition to the brutal commercial whaling industry.

We must send a clear message before the harpoons strike again in June. Show your support—please add your name to our global petition by 13 April.