Iceland’s only remaining active whaling company, Hvalur, says it can survive renewed efforts to permanently ban commercial whaling. The government has announced plans to submit a bill in February that could bring an end to the practice in Iceland, one of only three countries alongside Norway and Japan that still permit commercial whale hunting.
Hvalur operates two catcher boats and employs around 150 people during the whaling season, which runs from early June to late September. The company has caught 85 fin whales so far this season, against a government quota of 150.
The proposed ban remains controversial in Iceland, where public opinion is divided. Fin whales, the industry’s main target, are classified as vulnerable globally by the IUCN, although their North Atlantic population is considered healthy enough to support managed harvesting.
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