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Gray whale

UN adopts High Seas Treaty to protect the ocean

At the UN 'High Seas Treaty' negotiations in New York, a historic vote for the...

Hopes raised for whale and dolphin protection after last minute landmark nature agreement

WDC's Ed Goodall (far right) at COP15 with Thérèse Coffey (centre) UK Secretary of State...

WDC orca champion picks up award

Beatrice Whishart MSP picks up her Nature Champion award The Scottish Environment LINK, an organisation...

Large number of dolphins moved to Abu Dhabi marine park

Up to 24 captive bottlenose dolphins have reportedly been sent to a new SeaWorld theme...
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  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Prevent deaths in nets
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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...

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...

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...

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...

Icelandic fin whale hunting to resume

Iceland’s only fin whaling company, Hvalur hf,  announced today that it will resume fin whaling...

SOS alert for whales off Norway!

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

Minke whale hunts stop in Iceland

Iceland’s commercial hunt of minke whales has ended for this year.

The common minke whale is the main species targeted by Japan, Norway and Iceland when they undertake ‘scientific’ and/or commercial whaling.

Iceland has continued to kill whales despite the International Whaling Committee’s ban on commercial whaling, using loopholes and its much-disputed move to take a so-called ‘reservation’ in 2002.

Out of a quota of 262, six minke whales were caught this summer which was the smallest number caught since 2003 when Iceland resumed whaling. 17 were caught in 2017 and 46 in 2016.

WDC’s view is that, since minke whale numbers in the region are steadily declining – with the reasons behind this decline still poorly understood – further quotas should be denied for that reason alone. Moreover, the hunts are extremely cruel as many of the whales do not die instantly.


Gunnar Bergmann Jonsson, CEO of minke whaling company IP-Utgerd Ltd said to Morgunbladid newspaper “We need to go much farther from the coast than before, so we need more staff, which increases costs”. Because of declining profits, the local industry is struggling and demand is diminishing.

Vanessa Williams-Grey, policy manager at WDC, comments “I am delighted that the cruel and unnecessary minke whale hunt has ended for this year, but fin whales are still being killed. WDC won’t stop until all whales are safe and free off Iceland.”

Kristján Loftsson, the world´s last commercial fin whaler, has already killed 57 of these gentle giants this year. His operations sparked even more international outrage when news broke of the illegal kill of an endangered and very rare blue whale or blue/fin whale hybrid in mid-July.