International groups including OceanCare, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Orca, the Captain Paul Watson Foundation and the Environmental Investigation Agency have written to Halla T\u00f3masd\u00f3ttir, the president, to express deep concern over the issue. Making a decision on whaling during this transition period would run counter to the spirit of democratic governance, particularly when polling shows the majority of Icelanders are against it, they say.<\/p>\n
T\u00f3masd\u00f3ttir has said previously that the role of the temporary government is primarily to maintain stability until an elected government is in place.<\/p>\n
Prime minister and Independence party chair Bjarni Benediktsson announced in an interview two weeks ago that Hvalur\u2019s request would be reviewed by J\u00f3n Gunarsson, whom he appointed his special representative at the Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.<\/p>\n
When asked if a whaling licence will be issued, Benediktsson responded: \u201cIf there is time, it can happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gunarsson, an Independence party MP, was one of the most vocal critics of a temporary whaling ban announced in June 2023 by then minister of fisheries Svand\u00eds Svavarsd\u00f3ttir, of the Left-Green party. Svavarsd\u00f3ttir suspended whaling after a report concluded that the 2022 hunt did not comply with the country\u2019s animal welfare legislation as the whales took too long \u2013 up to two hours \u2013 to die. The ban was later ruled unlawful by the parliamentary ombudsman.<\/p>\n
Iceland has been governed since 2021 by a coalition of the conservative Independence party, led by Benediktsson, the centre-right Progressive party, and the leftwing Left-Green movement. The coalition was dissolved in early October after policy disagreements.<\/p>\n
While the granting of a whale licence is technically an administrative task, the issue is highly contentious.<\/p>\n
In their letter to T\u00f3masd\u00f3ttir, the international groups cited the recent decision by Iceland to abstain from key votes at the International Whaling Commission, which it said was seen by international allies as a signal of a re-evaluation of whaling practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe respectfully urge you to consider the potential impact that a hasty decision may have on Iceland\u2019s environmental legacy and its relationship with the global community\u201d it read. \u201cDeferring the decision on any new whaling licences until a fully mandated government is in place would honour Iceland\u2019s democratic processes and uphold the country\u2019s reputation as a responsible steward of marine ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fin whales, the second-largest mammal in the world, are listed as vulnerable to extinction on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their numbers have recovered after bans on hunting were introduced in many countries since the 1970s.<\/p>\n
In May, Japan announced that fin whaling could resume.<\/p>\n