Whaling is an ancient practice and for a long period of time, indigenous communities have been hunting this huge marine mammal for food and other resources.
However, somewhere around the 20th century, wasteful overhunting caused numerous whale species to come very close to extinction.
Much of the damage inflicted on this marvelous species has been mitigated thanks to the conservation efforts made by the International Whaling Commission.
And, a new ban in Iceland on commercial whaling that will begin as of 2024 is another effort to protect this species.
It Was Not Easy to Do This, Claim the Conservationists
Back in the 80s, the IWC issued a moratorium on whale hunting to which Iceland objected so the licensing commercial whaling resumed in 2003.
However, the demand for licenses dropped between 2019 and 2023, and the law allows for hunting of the endangered species 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales annually.
Only one whale though, a minke whale, has been killed in the past three years and the major licensees have also stopped hunting. Their hunting rights will end in 2023 and they won’t be renewed.
The pandemic significantly influenced the meat-processing plants and Japan’s return to whale hunting back in 2019 reduced the demand for exported meat from whales.
Ships also need to go further out in the sea to catch because of the expansion of waters that are being protected. All of these factors are believed to have contributed to the reduction in whale meat demand.
More and More Marine Species Are Getting the Protection They Need
Whales aren’t the sole marine species that have been getting the needed protection. Namely, Hawaii recently became the first state that put a ban on shark fishing in state waters.
However, there are exceptions to the rule for the indigenous people and their hunting practices. But, they have long been protecting whales and other marine species.
This includes responsible use of marine resources and contributing to the well-being of the planet. Putting an end to high-volume whale hunting for commercial purposes is a step in the right direction.
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