Iceland suspends annual whale hunt – and may never bring it back

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The government of Iceland said the food and veterinary authority’s control report on the treatment of whales during the hunting was submitted to the ministry in May 2023 “and the conclusion of the report is that the killing of the animals took longer than allowed by the principal objective of the Act on Animal Welfare”. Ms Svavarsdóttir cited the report, authored by an expert advisory board, that said “the method employed in hunting large whales does not comply with the Act on Animal Welfare”. “Humane Society International is thrilled at this news and praises Minister Svavarsdóttir for ending the senseless whale killing which will spare hundreds of minke and imperilled fin whales from agonising and protracted deaths,” HSI Europe’s executive director Ruud Tombrock said in a statement. “Whales already face so many serious threats in the oceans from pollution, climate change, entanglement in fish nets and ship strikes, that ending cruel commercial whaling is the only ethical conclusion.” In 2009, several countries including the UK, the US, Germany, France, Portugal and Spain condemned Iceland’s whaling policy.