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After 17 years, Iceland has officially resumed commercial whaling; the first kill was made on Saturday: an endangered Fin whale.

Norway used to be the only country openly conducting commercial whaling. Japan currently conducts a large yearly hunt using the pretence of "scientific whaling" to keep its industry alive. Since 2003, Iceland has also engaged in so called "scientific whaling".

The Icelandic Fisheries Ministry has now issued a permit to hunt 39 whales for commercial purposes. Nine of these are endangered fin whales - proving claims that the hunt is sustainable are not true. An old Icelandic whale processing factory is also reportedly being put back into service.

The whaling permit should be revoked before any more whales are killed!

"The fact that the first kill was an endangered whale makes a nonsense of claims that the hunt is sustainable," says our campaigner John Frizell. "Iceland has no market for whale meat internationally and almost none domestically. This hunt is no more than pointless posturing, which achieves nothing except the further depletion of an endangered species," he added.

In addition to the Iceland hunt, next month the Japanese whaling fleet will sail to Southern Ocean, with plans to kill nearly 1,000 whales - including endangered Fin whales. Japan has announced plans to begin hunting humpbacks in future as well.

How You Can Help Stop Whaling In Iceland

Iceland is a stunning, pristine land that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, many of them to go whale watching in the clear arctic waters. Would you seriously consider taking a vacation in Iceland rather than somewhere else if the Government of Iceland stopped whaling?

Sign The Whales Tourism Pledge

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