In a new study of large whales in East Greenland, researchers have documented a dramatic biodiversity shift: minke whales, fin whales and humpback whales, once rarely seen in these waters, have now become abundant. The research, conducted by Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and colleagues in Greenland, Denmark and Iceland, presents a striking example of […]
Tag: Fin Whales
Petition: Stop Japan’s Plans to Slaughter Nearly 450 Vulnerable Whales This Year for Profit
Today, the whales that we share this world with are under attack from all sides. Pollution is poisoning their waters, climate change is ruining their habitats and food sources, and human threats like speeding boats and fishing nets are killing them at an alarming rate. Conservation efforts are the only way to fight these threats, […]
Record Whale Entanglements Show Urgent Need for Ocean Protection
The number of whales caught in fishing gear along U.S. coasts hit an alarming record in 2024, highlighting how human activity continues to endanger marine life. According to the Los Angeles Times, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed 95 cases of whales entangled in fishing lines, nets, buoys, and anchor ropes last year. […]
Iceland Pauses Fin Whale Slaughter—but the Fight Isn’t Over
This summer, Iceland‘s only whaling company has halted its fin whale hunt, citing lack of demand in Japan. While it’s a rare moment of relief, it’s not a victory—Japan, Norway, and Iceland remain the only countries still conducting legal commercial whaling. Under the false banner of tradition and science, whales are still being killed—and the […]
Whale Collisions Surge as Chile’s Industrial Shipping Lanes Expand
In the remote Chilean village of Chañaral de Aceituno, where the sea sparkles and artisanal fishing boats bob quietly, a deadly crisis is unfolding just offshore. According to The Guardian‘s Charis McGowan, Chile now records the world’s highest number of whale deaths caused by ship collisions—an average of five fatal strikes each year. Researchers believe […]
‘It’s like putting a whale in a blender’: the rise of deadly ship collisions in Chile
The memory of a blue whale gliding past his small boat haunts Patricio Ortiz. A deep wound disfigured the cetacean’s giant body – a big chunk had been ripped from its dorsal fin. Cargo ships are the only adversary capable of inflicting such harm on a blue whale, he says. “Nothing can be done when […]
Iceland’s Biggest Whaling Company Cancels Whale Hunt for 2025!
In a rare win for whales, Iceland‘s largest commercial whaling company, Hvalur hf., has announced it will not hunt fin whales during the summer of 2025. The decision follows years of controversy, global criticism, and a shrinking market for whale meat in Japan, where the company exports nearly all of its catch. According to Mongabay, […]
Hundreds of whales to be harpooned as Iceland issues new hunting licenses
On Dec. 6, Iceland‘s caretaker government announced it had issued five-year licenses to hunt fin and minke whales in Icelandic waters. It granted the fin whale hunting license to Hvalur hf., the country’s only remaining fin-whaling company, run by billionaire Kristján Loftsson, and the minke-hunting permit to a ship owned by Tjaldtangi ehf., a whaling […]