Iceland: Government Moves Toward Permanent Ban on Commercial Whaling
Iceland is preparing legislation that could permanently end commercial whaling in the country, potentially leaving Norway and Japan as the only nations continuing commercial whaling.
The Icelandic government plans to introduce a bill in February 2027 that would prohibit commercial whale hunting on a permanent basis. The proposal follows years of domestic and international debate over the future of Iceland’s whaling industry.
Iceland’s current whaling season is scheduled to continue until late September. So far, 80 fin whales have been hunted from an authorised quota of 150. Fin whales are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The proposed legislation would represent a major change for Iceland, which resumed commercial whaling in 2006 despite the international moratorium introduced by the International Whaling Commission in 1986.
If the proposal becomes law, Iceland would join the majority of countries that prohibit commercial whaling. Norway and Japan would then be the only countries continuing the practice on a commercial basis.
The proposal is expected to generate further debate between environmental groups, conservation advocates and Iceland’s fishing industry. Supporters of the ban argue that ending commercial whaling would strengthen marine conservation and bring Iceland closer to international environmental standards.
