The first two fin whales of the current season in Iceland have been delivered by Hvalur 9 to the whaling station in Hvalfjörður for processing. There has been no whaling carried out for the previous two years, prior to which whaling was subject to strict limitations.
The Animal Welfare Association of Iceland (DÍS) has denounced this return to the fin whale hunt, stating that despite no whales being caught for the previous two years, there are stocks of whalemeat for which there is no demand in cold storage, describing the hunt as ‘inhumane and pointless in every way.’
‘The real question is why is Kristján Loftsson so determined, considering he makes a financial loss on the whale hunt?’ A DÍS representative commented.
‘Is it to hinder a democratically elected government from passing legislation on whaling in the autumn, or to influence the referendum on opening negotiations towards EU membership, taking into account that whaling is outlawed in the European Union?’
DÍS points out that an expert committee concluded in 2023 that the fin whale hunt barely meets standards for animal welfare, and there is no method of killing these animals in a humane manner.
‘Kristján Loftsson’s freedom to pursue this outdated hobby, courtesy of the Parliamentary ombudsman, is considered more important than animal welfare. This is not acceptable,’ a DÍS representative stated.
As this year’s hunt got underway, a protestor tried to disrupt it by boarding Hvalur 9 and refusing to leave the lookout position in the crow’s nest at the top of the mast. This has happened before and protestors have spent some time on board, but this time the crew obtained the man’s ID number and took the unusual step of adding him to the ship’s list of crew as a passanger, before sailing from Reykjavík. The protestor was persuaded descend from the lookout post when Hvalur 9 arrived in Hvalfjörður.
