Whaling: Iceland suspends annual whale hunt

Iceland's government has put an end to this year's whale hunt until the end of August because of animal welfare concerns.

The minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Svandis Svavarsdottir said this week she was suspending all whaling operations.

It follows a report ordered by the government that found the hunt does not work with the country's Animal Welfare Act.

"This activity cannot continue in the future if the authorities and the license holders cannot ensure the fulfilment of the welfare requirements," Svandis Svavarsdottir said.

What is whaling?

Whale meat isn't as popular as it once was but there is still a demand for the meat in Japan

Whaling is the act of hunting for and killing whales.

Commercial whaling means hunting whales to sell the things that come from whales, like meat, oil and blubber.

It was banned in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) - a group whose job it is to look after whale conservation - after some species became almost extinct.

Iceland, Norway and Japan objected to the ban and have all carried on whaling in some form.

Their actions have been criticised by animal welfare activists and environmentalists.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, which last looked at fin whales in 2018, lists them as vulnerable.

This is mostly because of commercial whaling during the 20th Century.

Is there less interest in whaling now?

Iceland has only one remaining whaling company, Hvalur, and its licence to hunt fin whales runs out in 2023.

Another company stopped whale hunts in 2020, saying it no longer made money.

It seems there is less interest from Icelanders in eating whale meat and although Japan has a big market for the meat it restarted commercial whaling in 2019, which meant Iceland could no longer sell its meat to Japan.

The whale hunting season usually runs from mid-June to mid-September and Hvalur is unlikely to hunt that late in the season.

Although the suspension is only for this year, many people think it could mean the end of whaling completely and Hvalur might not have their licence renewed.

Last year the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries told the press: "There is little to justify allowing whaling" because of the controversial nature of the industry and the low demand these days for whale meat.

A survey in June also showed the majority of Icelanders (51%) were opposed to whale hunting.

Animal welfare organisations have praised the decision of Iceland's government and animal rights group Humane Society International said it was "a major milestone in compassionate whale conservation".