Iceland’s main whaling company, Hvalur hf., has announced it will not hunt fin whales in 2025. CEO Kristján Loftsson said the decision is mainly due to financial problems. The company also did not hunt whales in 2024.
The main reason is that Japan, the biggest buyer of Icelandic whale meat, is paying less for the product. Transport and storage costs are also going up, making it harder for Hvalur hf. to make a profit.
Even though this is good news for animal groups, it is not a result of new government rules. In late 2024, the Icelandic government approved new hunting limits. These allow hunters to kill up to 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales each year until 2028.
Another company can still hunt minke whales. But it is not clear yet if they will hunt in 2025.
More and more Icelanders are against whale hunting, especially young people. Whale watching is now a popular part of Iceland’s tourist industry. Many believe live whales bring more money than dead ones. Animal rights groups are asking the government to ban whale hunting forever.
Iceland’s whaling history
Whaling in Iceland goes back many years. Since the late 1800s, Icelandic whalers have killed over 35,000 whales.
After the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986, Iceland continued a “scientific” whale hunt until 1989. It started commercial whaling again in 2003 by using a legal exception.
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