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World Whaling

Introduction / MAP - Aotearoa - Canada - Caribbean - Faroe Islands - Greenland - Iceland - Indonesia - Japan - Norway - Philippines - Russia - USA

Iceland

Until quite recently, Icelanders carried out small-type coastal whaling (for minke whales) and large-type whaling (for fin and sei whales). However, Iceland ceased commercial whaling following the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling that took effect at the end of the 1985 season. The Icelandic government recently affirmed that due to its commitment to rational management and conservation of marine living resources, and in light of robust whale stocks in its waters, it would resume sustainable whaling.

Icelandic fishermen began hunting minke whales during the summer months in the early years of the 20th century. From 1977 until 1985, about 200 minke whales were taken each year from small fishing communities in the north and east of Iceland. Whaling was conducted using a 16 kg cannon-fired harpoon mounted on a 12 - 16mfishing boat (averaging 19 tons in 1980) with a crew of 2-4. If the whale was not killed by the harpoon, a rifle was used. The penthrite grenade, fully developed after Icelanders ceased whaling in 1985, has been used now that whaling has resumed; some minke whalers had taken courses for handling these grenades the year before minke whaling ceased. From 1975 - 1980, 8 - 10 boats participated in the minke hunt.On some boats, minke whales were cut up on board, whereas other boats towed the whales to port where they were flensed and the meat and blubber were sold locally. Further processing, for domestic use and for export, took place at five processing plants. The meat was eaten fresh (fried or boiled) or smoked, and together with the blubber, was also pickled for later use.

One company in southwest Iceland that operated four catcher boats conducted large-type whaling. From the years 1948-1985 these vessels caught approximately 350 whales each year in the waters around Iceland. The catch was principally fin and sei whales; no humpbacks were caught after 1954, no blue whales after 1959, and no sperm whales after 1982. (One fin whale x blue whale hybrid was taken in a whale research program in the late 1980s, and has been labeled a "blue whale" in some anti-whaling publications).
Iceland is a small nation of about 273,000 people who enjoy a high standard of living. The nation's prosperity derives from fishery-related exports (amounting to about 80% of the export trade). Due to the small population, the domestic market for whale meat and blubber is small, so the export of whale products (particularly to the Faroe Islands, Japan and Norway) in the past contributed to the export economy. During the recent period when no whaling was carried out, the taste for whale meat and blubber was satisfied through whale by-catch and, more recently, the importation of whale products from Norway.

For more information about Icelandic whaling