Modern Australian

Why Iceland is set to resume whaling despite international opposition

  • Written by Julia Jabour, Senior Lecturer, Ocean and Antarctic Governance Research Program, University of Tasmania

After a two-year pause in the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) hunt, Icelandic whaling company Hvalur hf. will resume whaling this summer, with a government-issued quota.

Two factors help explain why Iceland and other countries are determined to hunt whales in defiance of international disapproval. The first is demand for the product; the second...