Icelandic whalers kill first fin whales in four years
As feared, whale hunters in Iceland have killed at least two fin whales, the first to be killed in four years. Hopes remain that the cruel practice will end in 2023 after the country’s Fisheries Minister, Svandís Svavarsdóttir cast doubt over its future a few weeks ago, saying that there is now little justification for authorizing…
Read MoreMajority of Icelandic people think whaling harms their country’s reputation
A survey of Icelandic people has confirmed that the majority believe whaling damages Iceland’s reputation. According to the new survey conducted by Maskína for the Icelandic Nature Conservation Association, only 6.1% thought the hunts have a good effect on the country’s reputation, while only 21% consider whaling to be important for the economy. A mere…
Read MoreJapan Begins Commercial Whaling Season
Sei whale © Christopher Swann Japanese whalers have left port to begin this year’s annual hunt for whales and could kill up to 150 Bryde’s whales and 25 sei whales by the time the season finishes in mid-November. This year’s hunt is scheduled to begin on June 13th with the whaling ship Yushin Maru No.3 and its mother ship…
Read MorePregnant pilot whales die in Faroe Islands hunt
Sixty three long-finned pilot whales were driven onto a beach and brutally killed over the weekend in the first hunt of the year in the Faroe Islands. The hunt took place at Sandágerði in the capital Tórshavn. Several of the whales were pregnant females. The infamous drive hunts take place every year with several hundred…
Read MoreHigh mercury levels found in Japanese dolphin meat
According to reports from Japan, police there are investigating the sale of whale and dolphin meat containing potentially illegal levels of dangerous toxins. Action for Dolphins group say tests on samples of meat sold in the coastal town of Taiji reveal mercury levels up to 25 times higher that safe limits set by the government.…
Read MoreLatest Taiji drive hunt season ends with many dolphins killed
Fishermen in the coastal town of Taiji, Japan have ended this season’s brutal dolphin hunt and, according to local sources, have killed or captured over 550 whales and dolphins. Species killed include Risso’s and striped dolphins as well as melon-headed whales and short-finned pilot whales. These drive hunts run from September to March or April…
Read MoreNorway’s government gives green light for slaughter of hundreds of whales this year
Just weeks after Iceland indicated it is moving away from cruel whaling, Norway’s government has announced that its whalers can kill hundreds of minke whales in 2022. Bjørnar Skjæran, Norway’s new Minister of Fisheries and Marine Affairs has set a quota (numbers that can be killed) of 917 minke whales for the upcoming whaling season, slightly…
Read MoreFaroese Aquaculture Association calls for ban on dolphin hunts
The Faroese Aquaculture Association has joined calls for the country’s prime minister to ban dolphin hunting, following the terrible events last September when 1,423 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were killed in local waters. In a press release, the Association highlights the negative impact that criticism around the hunts has had on local businesses, which are very…
Read MoreMinister casts doubt over future of whaling in Iceland
Cruel hunts could end in 12 months Following three years with no whaling in Iceland, the country’s Fisheries Minister has cast doubt over the return of the cruel hunts. In an article published by local news outlet Morgunblaðið, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, Iceland’s Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries said that there is now little justification for…
Read MoreEven locals outraged as 1400 dolphins die in Faroese hunt
There has been widespread condemnation after over 1400 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were killed in the Faroe Islands last weekend, believed to be the largest number of dolphins ever killed in the country. Much of the criticism has come from within the country where usually there is a strong defense of the hunts, which are portrayed…
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