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 38 minutes ago38 min 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.