Two fin whales are killed off Iceland as commercial whaling returns after a two-year pause

After a two-year pause, Iceland has resumed its contentious commercial whaling industry, and two fin whales have already been killed off its coast.

The deaths mark an abrupt return to a hunt that conservation groups say cuts against efforts to protect ocean life and build a healthier future for coastal communities that depend on thriving marine ecosystems.

What happened?

According to CTV, the overnight hunt produced the first fin whale catches since 2023, with the outlet reporting that two were killed within the first two days. Fin whales are the second-largest whale, after the blue whale.

Alongside Norway and Japan, Iceland is among the only three countries that still openly carry out whaling. Iceland canceled whale hunts in 2024 and 2025, partly because economic weakness reduced demand for whale meat.

This year's hunt got underway June 19 with two ships heading out, after police removed a protester who had climbed the mast of one vessel in Reykjavik before its departure.

Calling the news grim, Joanna Swabe of Humane World for Animals said: "The first fin whale deaths in Iceland's hunt this year are devastating." She also said Iceland has killed more than 1,000 fin whales over roughly the past two decades.

Why does it matter?

Whales play an important role in ocean ecosystems, helping sustain food webs and support marine environments that people around the world rely on for jobs, food security, and climate stability.

The country had recently pulled back from whaling for economic reasons, as weaker conditions had reduced demand for whale meat.

The fin whale is "a species classified as globally vulnerable to extinction," Swabe said.

What's being done?

Animal welfare and conservation groups are still opposing the hunt, and that resistance was visible even before it began, including the protest in Reykjavik.

Iceland's government has said it plans to introduce a bill this autumn that would ban whaling.

The recommendation for whale catches was also reduced by 28% from the previous season.

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