Reykjavik – The Icelandic government on Tuesday June 21 suspended whaling until the end of August in the name of animal welfare, paving the way for the end of this controversial tradition that is now only practiced in three countries.
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Animal and environmental groups applauded the decision, which the Humane Society International called an “important shift in compassionate whale conservation.”
“I have made the decision to suspend whaling” until August 31, Food Minister Svandis Svavarsdottir said, after a report by a government commission found that whaling does not comply with animal welfare laws. from Iceland.
This report from the veterinary authorities underlines that the slaughter of cetaceans takes too long. In the latest videos released by these authorities, the horrific five-hour agony of a whale hunted last year was revealed.
“If the government and (hunting) permit holders cannot guarantee the welfare requirements, this activity has no future,” added the minister, implying that this practice is coming to an end.
The fishing license of the last remaining whaling company in the country, Hvalur, expires in 2023. The company had already announced that this season would be its last because the activity had lost profitability.
Whaling season in Iceland runs from mid-June to mid-September, but it is unlikely to resume after August 31.
The annual quotas allow the hunting of 209 fin whales – the second longest marine mammal after the blue whale – and 217 minke whales.
But catches have been much lower in recent years due to declining demand for whale meat.
Iceland, Norway and Japan are the only countries that allow whaling.
Growing opposition from the population
“There is no ‘humane’ way to kill a whale at sea, which is why we urge the minister to ban it permanently,” Humane Society International director Ruud Tombrock said in a statement.
Ending commercial whaling is the only ethical conclusion
“Whales already face so many serious threats in the oceans from pollution, climate change, getting caught in fishing nets and ship strikes, that ending commercial whaling is the only conclusion.” ethics,” he added.
Opposition to this practice is now in the majority among the Icelandic population. 51% of Icelanders are opposed (compared to 42% four years ago), according to a poll by the Maskina Institute, the results of which were made public in early June.
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