Whale hunting starts again in Iceland – the first in two years

Two whales have been killed off the coast of Iceland during a commercial whaling expedition, according to local media reports.

The two whales, which belong to the minke whale species, are the first to be killed in a commercial whaling expedition since the temporary suspension in 2023, reports the public service broadcaster Rúv.

The minke whale is the world’s second-largest animal after the blue whale.

Iceland suspended its whaling programme in 2024 and 2025 due to reduced demand and declining profitability. However, whaling resumed in Iceland last week, a move that has drawn criticism from animal rights organisations.

Iceland, Norway and Japan are the only countries that still actively engage in whaling. In recent years, public opinion in Iceland has shifted in favour of a ban, and the government in Reykjavik has announced that such a bill will be tabled this autumn. Most of the country’s whale meat is exported to Japan.