TAKE ACTION FOR CETACEANS!

Additional information - Reasons why whaling should end:
 

• Iceland's Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir has publicly stated, "It must be demonstrated that it is economically justifiable to renew whaling rights. In a historical context, these whale hunts have had a negative effect on the country's export interests. All things being equal, there is little justification for authorizing whaling after 2024. This year, an assessment will be made of the potential macroeconomic and social impact of such a decision." [Source - International Marine Mammal Project]
   

• The 5-year annual quota for 161 Fin whales applies to the western region covered by Hvalur hf's whaling permit (the last whaling company in Iceland - owned by Kristjan Loftsson). The permit expires at the end of 2023.  [Source - National Geographic]
   

• "According to the financial statements of Hvalur hf, the largest Icelandic whaling company, its whaling operations generated roughly a billion ISK in losses (7.5 million USD/6.8 million EUR)."  Hvalur hf is the last whaling company in Iceland - owned by CEO Kristjan Loftsson. [Source - Iceland Magazine]
   

• Whaling is not a humane process. The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) released a report in May 2023 regarding the monitoring of whaling in Iceland during the previous season (2022).  The extremely concerning report concluded that 41% of the whales killed took over 11 minutes to die. Additionally, one whale took one hour to die and one took two hours. Of the 148 whales that were caught, two thirds of the whales were female, 11 of those whales were pregnant females, and one of those females was still lactating. This indicates a juvenile Fin whale, still reliant on its mother, may not survive as a result of its mother being killed. Of the 148 whales that were targeted, 36 whales (24%) were shot more than once: five whales were shot three times and four whales were shot four times. One whale with a harpoon in its back was chased for five hours without success. The whale that got away (possibly dying later from injuries or living injured and in pain) is referred to as "struck and lost".
  [Source - MAST Report summary - Google Chrome provides quick translation of the page if needed] 
  [Source - PDF of the entire MAST report - 55 pages - Note: This is written in Icelandic]
  [Source - Report summary via The Guardian]
  [Source - Please like/share Stefán's Instagram post with impactful whaling art about this report]
   

• Struck and lost whales: "Very little is known about the whales that are struck by a harpoon or rifle, but then escape injured. These whales are known as ‘Struck and Lost’ and it is hard to image that any nation would tolerate a comparative percentage of animals in a slaughterhouse being ‘struck and lost’ and escaping to an unknown fate. Yet, ‘Struck and Lost’ whales are a persistent feature of all whale and dolphin hunting operations. For example, in Greenland’s narwhal hunts, a combination of under-reporting and stuck and lost animals adds an average of 42% to the harvest statistics for 1954-1998. ‘Struck and Lost’ whales that survive may either die slowly or live with painful or debilitating injuries and associated infections. The magnitude of the welfare issues associated with ‘Struck and Lost’ whales should not be underestimated." [Source - WDC / formerly WDCS]
   

• "Over 40% of whales suffer a long and painful death for a dying industry - The suffering whales endure during this hunt is unimaginable. Last year we saw images of a fin whale returning to shore with four harpoons in its body, demonstrating the inherent cruelty happening at sea.” adds Ramage. The gruesome evidence is in; commercial whaling is inhumane, unnecessary and must end. Living whales are far more valuable to the marine ecosystem and to the whale watching industry than they are served up on a plate. We call on the government of Iceland to end this slaughter for good.” [Source - ifaw]
   

• Kristjan Loftsson owns the whaling company "Hvalur hf"- the only company in Iceland still hunting whales. He has clearly stated "About 90 percent of the company’s meat goes to Japan." There isn't much demand for whale meat in Iceland and the majority is exported. [Source - National Geographic]

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• 84% of Icelanders said they have never tasted whale meat at all. [Source - ifaw]

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• "Icelandic whalers hunt both fin whales and minke whales in their waters. Almost all of the fin whale meat and products are exported to Japan, whilst most of the minke whale meat was served to tourists until outreach campaigns by WDC and others considerably reduced demand. Due to the pandemic and other factors relating to demand, there was no fin or minke whaling in 2019 and 2020 and no fin whaling in 2021 (although a single minke whale was taken that year). Sadly, the fin whale hunt resumed in June 2022 and whalers from Iceland's sole fin whaling company, Hvalur hf., killed a total of 148 whales in the following months.”  [Source - WDC]

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• "Our conservative estimates put the value of the average great whale, based on its various activities, at more than $2 million, and easily over $1 trillion for the current stock of great whales."  Referencing the value of each living Fin whale as approximately $3 million (as noted they are worth more than $2 million), that puts the value of Iceland's 161 Fin whale quota at approximately $483 million. They are worth far more alive as an ongoing resource and key species in helping maintain the health of our oceans. [Source - IMF]

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• Via CNN: The total revenue of whale watching companies in Iceland amounted to $26.5 million in 2017. Hvalur’s earnings from commercial whaling in Iceland during the same time frame was $14.1 million. Ecotourism has proven time and time again to be far more profitable as an ongoing and sustainable resource. Kristjan Loftsson and the individuals who work for him are the sole recipients of the single revenue source provided from Icelandic whaling, with Kristjan Loftsson receiving most of that revenue. Living whales provide an ongoing revenue source for the length of their lifetime! A multitude of businesses (including the government) benefit from living whales: whale watching & tourism companies, hotels and housing rentals, restaurants and grocery stores, in addition to all the local businesses that benefit from having tourists in the area to see the whales. [Source - CNN]

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• A 2019 report in the magazine of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated that “each great whale sequesters 33 tons of CO2 on average, taking that carbon out of the atmosphere for centuries.” Rebuilding populations of large baleen whales would store carbon in their bodies equivalent to the amount in 110,000 hectares (272,000 acres) of forest, “an area the size of the Rocky Mountain National Park,” in Colorado, U.S., the authors of a 2010 paper in PLOS ONE calculated. This is why whales are “an extremely powerful ally in the fight against the climate crisis,” Cabrera said. [Source - IMF]  [Source - PLOS ONE]