Key facts
- Icelanders will vote on August 29 on whether to restart negotiations to join the European Union.
- EU rules prohibit the capture or killing of all cetaceans, including whales.
- Kristján Loftsson, owner of Hvalur hf., operates Iceland's sole commercial whaling fleet.
- Hvalur hf. has hunted over 50 fin whales this season and is exploring new markets for whale meat.
- The company's whaling operations incurred substantial losses between 2011 and 2021.
- EU membership would likely force an end to Iceland's commercial whaling.
Icelanders are set to vote on whether to resume negotiations for European Union membership, a decision that could effectively end the nation's commercial whaling industry. Kristján Loftsson, the 83-year-old millionaire at the helm of Hvalur hf., Iceland's sole whaling company, has been seeking innovative ways to sustain the business, including marketing whale meat as an iron supplement for anemic individuals worldwide.
Hvalur hf. operates two ships that hunt fin whales during the summer season, having already killed over 50 specimens this year under a quota of 150. Despite Loftsson's efforts to find new markets, the business has faced significant challenges, including unprofitability and a reported loss of approximately 3 billion Icelandic krona (€21 million) between 2011 and 2021. The company previously halted sales to Japan due to unprofitability.
The potential EU membership poses a direct threat as EU regulations, specifically the Habitats Directive, ban the capture or killing of all cetaceans. While polls show the referendum vote is closely contested, with a slight lead for the 'Yes' vote, the implications for whaling are clear. Some Icelandic politicians, like former environment minister Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, believe an exemption for whaling would be impossible to obtain within the EU framework. He also suggested that whaling plays a role in controlling whale populations that could otherwise threaten Iceland's fisheries.
Anti-whaling activists, such as Arne Feuerhahn of Hard To Port, document the practice, highlighting concerns about cruelty and the methods used. These methods, largely unchanged from the early 1900s, involve harpoons with exploding grenades, and instances have been recorded where whales took considerable time to die. Marine scientist Conor Ryan notes that while the number of whales hunted may not significantly impact the overall fin whale population, his opposition is based on the ethical concerns of inhumane killing.