Abridged from original. URL for source in title.

[Opinion. Whales certainly have bigger brains than we do. They roam the oceans singing songs to each other, not troubling anybody. So let’s slaughter them eh!]

Do we really need to hunt whales?

Oceanographic Magazine: 14 Jun 2026

While the rest of the world turns away from commercial whaling, Kristján Loftsson — head of Iceland’s biggest whaling company, Hvalur hf. — is gearing up to restart the hunt of vulnerable fin whales after a historic two-year suspension.

Between 2012 and 2020, Hvalur hf. recorded combined losses of approximately three billion Icelandic krónur – around $20 million – from its whaling operations. 

By contrast, whale watching generates an estimated $26 million annually for Iceland’s economy.

Fin whales are the second-largest animals on Earth and are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. They play a critical role in ocean health, contributing to carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling across marine ecosystems.

The Icelandic Minister of Fisheries is expected to pass an emergency ban and stop Loftsson’s slaughterous summer plans. WDC is calling on the Minister to revoke Hvalur’s licence immediately and to begin the formal process of withdrawing Iceland’s reservation to the IWC moratorium,” said McMillan.

Fin whales are gentle giants capable of communicating across entire oceans through song. They form deep social bonds, experience emotion, and mourn their dead.

These whales do not die peacefully. After being struck with explosive harpoons, investigations found fin whales can suffer in agony for up to two hours before finally dying.

Worse still: Loftsson’s whalers are known for killing pregnant mothers.

During the industrial whaling era, commercial whalers hunted fin whales to the brink of extinction. Decades later, even after global protections helped their populations recover, Iceland remains the only country in Europe still allowing commercial hunts of these vulnerable animals.

And Kristján Loftsson is one of the biggest reasons why.

Demand has collapsed so dramatically that hundreds of pounds from his last whale hunt in 2023 still sit unsold in storage.

AFAIK there are no commercial whale products (apart from whale meat of course) that cannot be replaced by synthetic or plant-based alternatives.

So no, IMHO, we do not need to hunt whales!

16 minutes ago, Crossy said:

AFAIK there are no commercial whale products (apart from whale meat of course) that cannot be replaced by synthetic or plant-based alternatives.

I beg to differ.

I would also say that if one wants whale sperm from a Sperm Whale, then one must engage in a hunt.

I do not eat whale meat.

Edited June 15Jun 15 by GammaGlobulin

Barbaric, outdated practice that needs to end. They are beautiful animals that do no one harm, and the watching generates income. Always rooted for the whale in all Moby Dick tales. Daughter here does also. The world can get by just fine leaving these animals alone.

Look at it from another side.

We already interfere with sea life on a commercial scale, from seaweed and algae harvesting to tuna, krill and everything between. Some can be done carefully, but at scale it is still human interference.

I also do not see whale meat as morally worse than fish, deer, moose, lamb or beef, as long as it is regulated and based on numbers.

Locally, whale meat and wild meat are culturally grounded in many cultures. The same goes for beef in Texas, meat culture across Europe, and many other places. Should we take that away too because some people think it is wrong for the animals? Poor Ferdinand?

I eat whale meat when I am in Norway. I also eat wildlife meat. Meat from animals that lived free.

For me, krill harvesting is much worse. Krill is one of the foundations of the ocean food chain. Taking that away on an industrial scale is not tradition or food culture. It is one of the worst robberies from the sea.

If we eat meat, we should at least be honest about that. Vegetarians and vegans believe we can live on greens and plant protein. I call that a belief, not a fact. Try feeding 8 billion people that way first.

Someday, soon.....

All required protein for human consumption will be synthesized from Natural Gas & Petroleum.

This will obviate the need to harvest animals, including Bluefin Tuna.

In addition, due to the depopulation of Japan, resulting from their ever-decreasing low fertility rate, there will soon be...

Nobody to eat Bluefin tuna or whales.

Except for, maybe, sport fishermen....

I would prefer to see a total ban on bluefin tuna.

But, no worries, because the oceans are dying, anyway, due to decreasing pH levels.....

And, can we please stop annoying whales and other sea creatures with incessant cavitation sounds from our propellers?

Thank you.

20 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Look at it from another side.

We already interfere with sea life on a commercial scale, from seaweed and algae harvesting to tuna, krill and everything between. Some can be done carefully, but at scale it is still human interference.

I also do not see whale meat as morally worse than fish, deer, moose, lamb or beef, as long as it is regulated and based on numbers.

Locally, whale meat and wild meat are culturally grounded in many cultures. The same goes for beef in Texas, meat culture across Europe, and many other places. Should we take that away too because some people think it is wrong for the animals? Poor Ferdinand?

I eat whale meat when I am in Norway. I also eat wildlife meat. Meat from animals that lived free.

For me, krill harvesting is much worse. Krill is one of the foundations of the ocean food chain. Taking that away on an industrial scale is not tradition or food culture. It is one of the worst robberies from the sea.

If we eat meat, we should at least be honest about that. Vegetarians and vegans believe we can live on greens and plant protein. I call that a belief, not a fact. Try feeding 8 billion people that way first.

I guess I can agree on that, seeing the whale use is regulated and the whole whale is used. The problem lies, as it does in Japan's commercial fishing, that species are over harvested or wasted as a by catch. This won't happen in whale hunting, but they need to know the populations so it doesn't get out of hand. Like Deer hunting, which needs to be done wherever Deer live, to prevent overpopulation, I see that a limited harvest regulated would be okay. Krill is definitely over harvested, and is a main food source for whales.

So where are we going to get the oil for our oil lamps , seriously no we don't need to kill

them ,it's barbaric ,and it's mainly 2 countries that are doing that Japan and Norway ,

the Eskimos (can you call them that ) which is a cultural thing , and important part of

their food supply , and they dont kill many, not on a commercial scale like the others.

regards worgeordie

16 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I guess I can agree on that, seeing the whale use is regulated and the whole whale is used. The problem lies, as it does in Japan's commercial fishing, that species are over harvested or wasted as a by catch. This won't happen in whale hunting, but they need to know the populations so it doesn't get out of hand. Like Deer hunting, which needs to be done wherever Deer live, to prevent overpopulation, I see that a limited harvest regulated would be okay. Krill is definitely over harvested, and is a main food source for whales.

If we did not hunt and regulate predators like wolves and bears, we would not have the same problem with moose, elk and deer being overpopulated. When humans remove one natural control, we often have to replace it with another. That is why regulated hunting exists.

But none of this justifies the mass slaughter of whales last century. That was industrial greed, not balanced harvesting.

I loved the "Whale Wars" show

4 minutes ago, Hummin said:

If we did not hunt and regulate predators like wolves and bears, we would not have the same problem with moose, elk and deer being overpopulated. When humans remove one natural control, we often have to replace it with another. That is why regulated hunting exists.

But none of this justifies the mass slaughter of whales last century. That was industrial greed, not balanced harvesting.

True, but for deer the main problem in the US is over development and stopping hunting because the deer are now in extended city limits and in many can't be hunted. There are more deer in the US than ever before. The predators take some, which helps keep the numbers down, but the game departments have to do their jobs and allow in city limits hunting, as there are usually no predators there.

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Someday, soon.....

All required protein for human consumption will be synthesized from Natural Gas & Petroleum.

This will obviate the need to harvest animals, including Bluefin Tuna.

In addition, due to the depopulation of Japan, resulting from their ever-decreasing low fertility rate, there will soon be...

Nobody to eat Bluefin tuna or whales.

Except for, maybe, sport fishermen....

I would prefer to see a total ban on bluefin tuna.

But, no worries, because the oceans are dying, anyway, due to decreasing pH levels.....

And, can we please stop annoying whales and other sea creatures with incessant cavitation sounds from our propellers?

Thank you.

Personally, I'm waiting for Soylent Green!

No, there is no reason to hunt whales.

It is possible to make a whale from Natural Gas, or a Beef Steak, for that matter....

I just hope the Japanese will soon get on=board with this new technology....

SAVE THE WHALES.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

53 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I guess I can agree on that, seeing the whale use is regulated and the whole whale is used. The problem lies, as it does in Japan's commercial fishing, that species are over harvested or wasted as a by catch. This won't happen in whale hunting, but they need to know the populations so it doesn't get out of hand. Like Deer hunting, which needs to be done wherever Deer live, to prevent overpopulation, I see that a limited harvest regulated would be okay. Krill is definitely over harvested, and is a main food source for whales.

??? There is no overpopulation of any whale species. In fact every whale species is on the IUCN endangered list.

For the record, as a lifelong vegetarian, I was tricked into tasting whale in Osaka. I went to a specialty whale restaurant to buy a whale cookbook for my collection. The owner insisted on treating us to a meal.

We told her politely we were complete Buddhist vegetarian and she told us she'd be happy to accommodate us. The bowls arrived, beautiful tidepools of mushrooms and vegetables. In whale broth! Fun anecdote to tell! We didn't drink the broth but very carefully picked out the veggies. Watch out what you ask for! Cool cookbook!

43 minutes ago, Hummin said:

If we did not hunt and regulate predators like wolves and bears, we would not have the same problem with moose, elk and deer being overpopulated. When humans remove one natural control, we often have to replace it with another. That is why regulated hunting exists.

But none of this justifies the mass slaughter of whales last century. That was industrial greed, not balanced harvesting.

I liked The Purge. Too many people. Best reason for guns in USA.

1 minute ago, unblocktheplanet said:

??? There is no overpopulation of any whale species. In fact every whale species is on the IUCN endangered list.

For the record, as a lifelong vegetarian, I was tricked into tasting whale in Osaka. I went to a specialty whale restaurant to buy a whale cookbook for my collection. The owner insisted on treating us to a meal.

We told her politely we were complete Buddhist vegetarian and she told us she'd be happy to accommodate us. The bowls arrived, beautiful tidepools of mushrooms and vegetables. In whale broth! Fun anecdote to tell! We didn't drink the broth but very carefully picked out the veggies. Watch out what you ask for! Cool cookbook!

This is why things have to be regulated, based on existing populations and how many can be harvested without hurting the species.

Some African animals are on the endangered list, yet some are hunted as surplus animals, trophies past their prime, and the large amount of money goes towards protecting the rest of them from poaching and loss of habitats. Some might think it doesn't make sense, but it clearly does. Kill a couple to save the rest. Of course this should always be monitored, as whales have been over harvested in the past from greed.

I ate shark fin soup once, and then thought about it, seeing how many of the sharks are wasted harvesting them for only their fins.

3 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

I liked The Purge. Too many people. Best reason for guns in USA.

The only problem with that is that it should be certain people who are purged. Child molesters, human traffickers, corrupt officials, certain politicians, rapists, murderers of innocents, those who over develop land for profit, judges who get paid off, etc

Edited June 15Jun 15 by fredwiggy

The Iñupiat, Inuit and Yupik hunt and eat whale, would you like them to conform to your will and have them stop practicing their traditional livelihood?

A post with a derogatory ethnic slur comment toward Japanese people has been removed.

We're not talking about subsistence. Coastal First Nations tribes have no business hunting whales even though it is their heritage, they have no more need.

Nor do Faroes Islanders, Norwegians, Icelanders or Japanese. Nobody from these countries even likes whale meat!

There is no reason for men to have sex with other men, except that they want to, yes?

12 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

We're not talking about subsistence. Coastal First Nations tribes have no business hunting whales even though it is their heritage, they have no more need.

Nor do Faroes Islanders, Norwegians, Icelanders or Japanese. Nobody from these countries even likes whale meat!

Well then lean to get used to it because some indigenous folks have the right to live as they please without interference from folks such as yourself. Then again, some folks ain’t gonna be happy unless they’ve got something to complain about.

42 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

I liked The Purge. Too many people. Best reason for guns in USA.

Violent dreams there. Do not know the «The Purge» but I think a got an idea

Some of us still live in reality. This is also about eating meat, food sources, local knowledge and the competence to survive.

Hunters, fishermen, farmers and local food producers are not the enemy. They are people with skills, and those skills may matter more than ever if fragile supply chains start breaking.

You sound more like a Hollywood activist than a Buddhist here.

its traditional. gotta keep traditions the Left approves of

I do not support whale hunting.

5 hours ago, novacova said:

Well then lean to get used to it because some indigenous folks have the right to live as they please without interference from folks such as yourself. Then again, some folks ain’t gonna be happy unless they’ve got something to complain about.

Maybe you should read that reply again!

No. It is a sick and twisted tradition being perpetrated primarily by the Japanese people. It's demented and it should stop.

18 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

No. It is a sick and twisted tradition being perpetrated primarily by the Japanese people. It's demented and it should stop.

ignorant and racist again