New whaling quota

128 fin whales may be hunted in Iceland in 2024

A total of 128 fin whales may be caught in the sea around Iceland this hunting season. According to the announcement, 99 fin whales may be caught in the Greenland/West Iceland region and 29 in the Faroe Islands/East Iceland region. Iceland is one of the few countries where whales may still be hunted.

The left-green fisheries minister Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir told reporters after a cabinet meeting that the decision to grant whaling licenses did not necessarily reflect her opinion or that of her party. However, she had to abide by laws and regulations.

2023 season has been stopped
Last year, the Icelandic government temporarily halted whaling shortly before the start of the hunting season. The reason for this was doubts as to whether the hunt was compatible with animal welfare.

A good two months later, the ban on whaling was lifted again, but with stricter requirements, for example for fishing equipment and the supervision of the practice. According to Fisheries Minister Gunnarsdóttir, these requirements also apply in this hunting season.