Iceland will not be hunting fin whales this summer, following a decision by Hvalur hf., the only company in the country licensed to hunt the species. CEO Kristján Loftsson, a leading figure in Iceland’s whaling industry for over five decades, confirmed the suspension of operations for the 2025 season due to economic challenges, including declining demand in Japan.
“No hunting this season,” Loftsson told the Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið earlier this month. He cited poor prices in Japan the main export market for Icelandic whale meat along with rising transport and storage costs, but lets hope it’s really because they have finally realised that it is an antiquated ”tradition” that bring no benefits to human health or our oceans!
Loftsson, now in his early 80s, has managed Hvalur since the 1970s. The company, founded by his father, has long dominated Iceland’s commercial whaling industry. This is the second consecutive year it has chosen not to hunt fin whales. Despite the pause, Iceland’s government approved new quotas in late 2024, allowing up to 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales to be killed annually through 2028.
In 2023, the whaling season was temporarily suspended by Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Svandís Svavarsdóttir after a government commissioned report found that the hunting methods often caused prolonged suffering. Though the ban was later lifted, the incident intensified national debate and introduced stricter welfare oversight. Environmental groups cautiously welcomed the latest development. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) called the decision a “positive step,” but emphasised that it was driven by economics, not policy.
A second company, Tjaldtangi ehf., still holds a licence to hunt minke whales but has not done so since 2021. As of late June, it had made no announcement regarding this year.
Public opinion in Iceland has increasingly turned against commercial whaling. A 2023 survey by the firm Maskína showed that a majority (particularly amongst the younger generations) oppose to the practice. Whale watching has grown into a key sector of Iceland’s tourism industry, boosting the argument that live whales offer more long-term value than hunted ones. While no fin whales will be killed this season, commercial whaling remains legal in Iceland. Conservationists continue to call for a permanent end a decision the government has yet to take.
