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Environmentalists and animal rights advocates have expressed deep disappointment as Iceland announces the resumption of commercial whaling following the expiration of a temporary ban put in place earlier this year.

The Icelandic government stated that although the hunt would resume, stricter regulations would be implemented, including improved equipment, enhanced training, and increased monitoring.

However, campaigners argue that these measures are “pointless and irrelevant” since the hunting method still inflicts agonising deaths on the whales, who are shot with grenade-tipped harpoons.

Jeepers, that does seem a little excessive.

The decision to allow the fin whale hunt to proceed comes following advice from a working group that suggested improvements could reduce suffering. Fin whales, the world’s second-largest mammals after blue whales, are classified as globally vulnerable to extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Iceland’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, isn’t budging when it comes to the implementation of stringent new requirements.

“Irrespective of my personal or political standpoint on whaling, evaluation of its future remains ongoing, and the official process continues.”

Environmentalists, however, are not convinced.

Luke McMillan, an anti-whaling campaigner at Whale and Dolphin Conservation, argued that no amount of training, education, or equipment improvements would make whaling acceptable. He described the decision as a “massive step backward.”

Campaigners highlighted that it’s not just explosive arrows shot from whaling boats that are cause for concern. Whales already face numerous threats, including pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, ship strikes and difficulties related to climate crisis.

Some conservationists are also concerned that this decision may undermine the longer-term phasing-out of whaling. A decision regarding Iceland’s whaling quota for the coming years is expected at the end of 2023. Currently, only one whaling company, Hvalur, operates in Iceland, and its five-year license to hunt fin whales expires in December.

Nevertheless, some see this decision as a positive step towards ending the whaling industry in Iceland. They believe the new conditions will not be met and hope that the government will stop issuing licenses for whaling once Hvalur’s permit expires.

In June, Iceland’s Minister of Food and Agriculture suspended whaling until August 31 after a government-commissioned report found that the hunt did not comply with the country’s animal welfare legislation. The report, published in May, revealed that the killing of the whales took too long, with some taking up to two hours to die after being harpooned.

Iceland, along with Norway and Japan, is one of the few countries that continue to live their Moby Dick fantasy despite international criticism from environmental and animal rights organisations.

Public support for whaling in Iceland has significantly declined. A June survey indicated that 51% of Icelanders opposed the hunt, with only 29% in favour, with the over-60s being the most supportive.

Last year, 148 fin whales were killed in Iceland. Expert analysis of the hunt, conducted on behalf of the food and veterinary authority, revealed distressing details of the practice, including multiple shots and prolonged chases.

[source:theguardian]