Is Whaling Over in Iceland?

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

Is Whaling Over in Iceland?

KARINA Contributor

On June 22, the first fin whale of this year’s Icelandic whaling season was killed. It wasthe first whale to be hunted in years because the pandemic halted Icelandic whaling between 2019 and 2021. During this time only one minke whale was killed.

The resumption of Icelandic whaling has brought on worldwide criticism and disapproval from a surprising source, Iceland itself.

The resumption of whaling has been criticized by whale watching companies, who say that it will damage the reputation of the nation and reduce the number of tourists who visit each year.

Even though Iceland has been hunting whales since the 8th century, whale meat is not considered to be a traditional dish. Only 2% of the population regularly eats it. With Iceland having a population of around 366,000, that’s just 73,000 people. Indeed, among the Icelandic people, whale meat is considered a ‘poor man’s food’, making it a dish that isn’t sought out.

So, where does the whale meat go? Well, before 2019, the vast majority of the whale meat was either sold to Japan or eaten by tourists. However, when Japan resumed commercial whaling, it began rejecting Icelandic meat, and the majority of whale meat is now consumed by tourists. Many of the 2 million people visiting Iceland each year believe that it is important to the country’s culture, and therefore want to try it.

However, this all changed with the ‘Meet us, don’t eat us’ campaign. ‘Meet us, don’t eat us’ was a campaign started by IFAW and Icewhale. It aimed to curb the number of tourists who ate whale meat by using several methods which included launching a petition stating that the petitioners would not eat whale meat. In addition, it promoted whale watching and whale-friendly restaurants.

All of this has proven to be a success.

The campaign managed to reduce the number of tourists who ate whale meat. Now, only a quarter of tourists eat whale meat, thus slashing the main consumers of this dy- ing industry.

Not only does this spark hope, but there is now a clear demand for whale watching in Iceland. Around 1 in 5 tourists go whale watching there. Since Iceland is an island where tourism is a major contributor to the economy, whale watching is very important. The resumption of whaling has been criticized by whale watching companies, who say that it will damage the reputation of the nation and reduce the number of tourists who visit each year.

However, despite the “Meet us, don’t eat us” campaign, whaling could resume. The last whaling company has a permit valid until 2023, after which it will be up to the Icelandic government to determine whether or not the country will pursue whaling.

The Icelandic government will most likely make its decision based on its population’s view on whaling and the number of tourists who consume whale meat. As such, it is strongly recommended to not eat whale meat.

As the sun rises over the whaling summer months and sets in 2023, it will be up to the Icelandic government, the tourists who visit Iceland, along with the Icelanders themselves, to decide whether Iceland will remain a whaling nation, or if it will hang up its harpoons forever. p

Photo VIA ARNE FEUHER

Photo VIA ALESSA ORSINI