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Vaquita. Photo Thomas Jefferson

Scientific Committee gives first ever official species extinction warning

Photo: Thomas Jefferson We have welcomed the urgent call by experts to protect the vaquita...
blue whale

Whale fossil from Peru may have been heavier than blue whale

Scientists examining the bones of a 39 million-year-old ancient whale have concluded that it may...
Humpback whale © Christopher Swann

Humpback whales breach in synchronisation

Humpback whales are renowned for their incredible acrobatic displays, but a family in the USA...
Long-finned pilot whale

Unusual activity witnessed before pilot whale stranding

Just days after a pod of long-finned pilot whales stranded on an island in the...
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  • All policy news
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Stop whaling
  • Strandings
Port River dolphins

New report reveals 100,000 dolphins and small whales hunted every year

When you hear the words ‘dolphin hunts’ it’s likely that you think of Japan or...

Minke whale hunts stop in Iceland

Iceland’s commercial hunt of minke whales has ended for this year. The common minke whale is the...

Australian Government to block Japanese whaling proposal

Japanese Government officials have reportedly confirmed that they will propose the resumption of commercial whaling...

Did Icelandic whalers really kill a blue whale?

*Warning - this blog contains an image that you may find upsetting* They say a...

Icelandic whalers breach international law and kill iconic, protected whale by mistake

Icelandic whalers out hunting fin whales for the first time in three years appear to...

Pregnant whales once again a target for Japanese whalers

Figures from Japan's whaling expedition to Antarctica during the 2017/18 austral summer have revealed that...

Doubts remain after Icelandic Marine Institute claims slaughtered whale was a hybrid not a blue

Experts remain sceptical of initial test results issued by the Icelandic Marine Institute, which indicate...

Japan set to resume commercial whaling

Reports from Japan suggest that the government they will formally propose plans to resume commercial...

End the whale hunts! Icelandic fin whaler isolated as public mood shifts

Here’s a sight I hoped never again to witness. A boat being scrubbed and repainted...

Norway increases whaling quota despite declining demand

Norway's government has announced an increase in the number of minke whales that can be...

Norway's whaling season begins

April 1st saw the start of the whaling season in Norway. Despite a widely-accepted international moratorium...

SOS alert for whales off Norway!

I have to admit to bitter disappointment when I arrived in Tromsø, northern Norway, a...

No fin whaling in Iceland this summer!

WDC warmly welcomes the news that there will be no fin whaling in Iceland this summer, saving the lives of up to 184 endangered fin whales. Kristjan Loftsson, CEO of Hvalur hf, Iceland´s sole fin whaling company, made the announcement that no fin whaling will be happening in Icelandic waters for the second year running. The main reasons given are the endless obstacles within Japan relating to imports of whale products, which have particularly frustrated Loftsson, since Japan has long been his main outlet. Loftsson also cited the currently very strong Icelandic krona as a reason for increased uncertainty around profits from exports.

A record 155 fin whales were caught during the 2015 season, but last year’s hunt was cancelled due to import difficulties and it seems that despite attempts by Icelandic officials and experts to speak to their counterparts in Japan, the obstacles remain.

Last year, Loftsson complained bitterly about what he described as Japan’s unfair and antiquated methods for testing and analyzing meat.

Loftsson has stopped whaling in the past, only to resume once circumstances improved, so we should remain vigilant. It is important, also, that we don’t lose sight of the fact that the minke whaling persists: indeed the minke whalers have just announced that they will be going out as early as next month. 

Support our work to end whaling in Iceland once and for all

Breaching fin whale