Iceland to End Commercial Whaling with Permanent Ban Bill

Iceland's government announced on its website that it intends to end commercial whaling, with a bill for a permanent ban to be introduced in parliament in February. The government in Reykjavik holds its own majority in the Althingi, giving the proposal a strong chance of passage. Whaling in Iceland has drawn years of protests from animal welfare groups and celebrities. If the ban takes effect, only Norway and Japan would continue commercial whaling. Animal welfare advocates welcomed the move: Wendy Higgins, spokesperson for Humane World for Animals, said there is "considerable political and public support" for the law and that it gives "hope of success." The announcement marks a reversal of prior policy, as Iceland had resumed commercial whaling in 2006 after a moratorium. Fin whales have been the main target of Iceland's whaling fleet, and the proposed ban would end that hunt.

Global Impact

Environmentally, the ban would reduce pressure on fin whale populations in the North Atlantic, a species still listed as vulnerable. Politically, it isolates Norway and Japan as the last commercial whaling nations, increasing diplomatic and NGO pressure on both.