After two years with no sanctioned whale hunts in Iceland, whaling firm Hvalur announced intentions earlier this year to hunt again for fin whales, marking the first time since 2023 any firm from Iceland has conducted whale hunts.
According to official data from the Icelandic Directorate of Fisheries, 17 fin whales have been hunted by the firm as of 19 July, while the Captain Paul Watson Foundation has estimated the total is closer to 30.
While either total represents a small fraction of the country’s allocated quota for 2026, which is 150 fin whales, the firm’s actions have met heavy backlash from politicians, conservation organizations, and the public at large.
Regarding the latter group, a survey cited by the Iceland Review found 41 percent of Icelanders oppose hunting for fin whales, compared to 33 percent saying they support it. Just 21 percent of respondents aged 18 to 29 said they support it.
Regarding the former group, Iceland Minister of Industries Hanna Katrín Friðriksson has announced plans to ban whaling with a bill later this year.
“I would like to see a significant reduction in whaling. My vision is that we stop this hunting,” she said, per media outlet Vísir.
In response to Friðriksson’s intentions to ban the practice, Kristján Loftsson, the CEO of Hvalur, told Icelandic broadcaster Sýn that the move would run counter to her job description.
"If she presents the bill, I will contact the Guinness Book of Records to ask if they have ever heard about a minister of industry that is proposing a bill to close an industry," he said.
In the Sýn interview, he also expressed disappointment with Icelandic food and veterinary authoritative body MAST, which shared certain locations where the firm’s killing of whales took place. According to Loftsson, the disclosure put his crew in danger from those opposed to the practice.
Opposition to Hvalur’s actions in particular has been longstanding.
In 2023, a MAST report sparked serious opposition after citing serious animal welfare concerns and featuring videos of Hvalur hunts that lasted up to several hours.
This year’s hunt has been no different, as a video Sýn obtained showed Hvalur crew members making lewd gestures with the penis of a fin whale carcass.
When asked about the incident, Friðriksson said “this was maybe unnecessary” but also advised that people who didn't like seeing whaling could look the other way.
