How changing social views are ending whaling practices globally

What do Icelanders think?

Public perceptions of whaling are strongly divided, but a recent national survey does indicate that support for the industry is declining.

A 2023 consensus found that 51 percent of Icelandic citizens are against whale hunting, which is a massive jump from a few years ago when only 42 percent said they disapproved of it.

Whales are primarily hunted for their meat, which has been served in Iceland’s restaurants as a traditional dish for centuries. However, the number of Icelanders with a real appetite for whale meat has seen a steady decline.

We know that climate change, ocean pollution, entanglement, and commercial shipping already threaten the fragile existence of whales. As the general public becomes increasingly aware of these issues, it makes sense that they would hope for an end to commercial whaling.

What do Icelandic authorities think?

The local government’s Food Minister, Svandis Svavardottir, has cited the recent public survey along with Iceland’s national Animal Welfare Act to leverage his decision to suspend – and potentially ban – the country’s whaling industry.

His decision is further supported by a report by Iceland’s Food and Veterinary Authority, which states that the amount of time it takes to kill a whale violates national animal welfare laws.

In video footage from last year’s whaling season, one killing took a total of five hours. Additional research found that most whales killed had taken two hours to die, with a total of 41 percent of whales suffering unnecessarily for prolonged periods of time before dying.

‘If the government and [whaling] licensees cannot guarantee the welfare requirements [of our national policies], this activity has no future,’ Svavadottir said.

He added that this summer’s ban could result in whale hunting becoming entirely illegal in Iceland by the year 2024.

A renewed perspective

The European charity Humane Society International has praised Iceland’s move to suspend its whaling season, calling it a ‘major milestone in compassionate whale conservation.’

Though modern whale hunts are typically justified by their roots in ancient traditions, public outrage during whaling seasons in places such as the Faroe Islands continues to push back on the practice.

With each day, we learn more about the threats humans have brought upon animal species trying to survive in the wild through nature documentaries, social media content, and growing evidence from climate science.

As our global society becomes more educated on the importance of conserving and nurturing life on our planet, it’s likely that we’ll see more countries abandon activities that only cause pointless destruction.

With Iceland looking to end legal whale hunts, at least we can hope so.