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Iceland suspends annual whale hunts. Is this the end of the controversial custom?

Iceland suspends annual whale hunts. Is this the end of the controversial custom?

Image source: © canva
Natalia Witulska,
21.06.2023 17:00

The Icelandic government has decided that the annual whale hunt won’t be held this year on the island. All because of the Animal Welfare Act.

This year there will be no whaling in Iceland. The government report found that the hunt does not comply with Iceland's Animal Welfare Act.

End of controversial practice in Iceland?

The Icelandic government has decided that the time has come to end the controversial practice. Animal rights groups and environmentalists applauded the decision, with Humane Society International calling it "a major milestone in compassionate whale conservation".

"I have taken the decision to suspend whaling" until 31 August, food minister Svandis Svavarsdottir said in a statement.

The Icelandic government's decision was also influenced by the recordings available on the internet. The video clips released by the veterinary authorities were shocking as they showed the agony of the whales and their painful dying.

It is worth noting that Iceland, Norway and Japan are the only countries that continue to organise whale hunts. The people of Iceland hope that the government's decision will end the practice once and for all, and not just in 2023. A survey published in the beginning of June showed that 51 per cent of Icelanders were against the hunts.

Source: theguardian.com

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