Iceland’s government plans to introduce legislation in February to ban commercial whaling, a move that would leave Norway and Japan as the only countries continuing the practice globally. The proposed bill aims to establish a permanent prohibition on whaling and reflects growing political and public support within Iceland, where the government holds a parliamentary majority.

Currently, Iceland permits whaling under regulated quotas. During the 2023 hunting season, which spans from June to September, 80 fin whales had been caught as of early November, according to Humane World for Animals, an animal welfare organization that monitors whaling activity. The government allows a total quota of 150 fin whales for the season. Fin whales, the primary species targeted by Icelandic whalers, are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The bill comes against a backdrop of longstanding protests against whaling in Iceland, including campaigns led by animal welfare advocates and high-profile figures. Humane World for Animals expressed support for the proposed ban, citing ethical, veterinary, legal, and conservation considerations as compelling reasons for the bill’s success.

Iceland resumed commercial whaling in 2006, following a decades-long international moratorium initiated by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986 to protect whale populations. In 2024, the country’s interim government granted a five-year license to the sole remaining whaling company operating within its waters. Meanwhile, Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993, also under objection to the IWC’s moratorium, and Japan formally withdrew from the commission in 2019, resuming whaling activities under national legislation.

If enacted, Iceland’s ban would mark a significant policy shift in a country where whaling has been both an economic enterprise and a source of domestic and international controversy. The legislation is expected to advance in the coming months as lawmakers debate its provisions and implications for the fishing and tourism sectors.