Iceland's plan to ban whaling

Iceland's government said it plans to submit legislation early next year to end commercial whaling, a move that would leave Japan and Norway as the only nations still hunting whales commercially. Environmental campaigners see the shift as increasing pressure on Tokyo, where public support for whaling has been declining even as the country continues killing up to 412 whales a year; advocates argue that growing international isolation, alongside weak domestic demand for whale meat and heavy government subsidies for the industry, will make Japan's position harder to sustain once Iceland steps back.

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As it ran

17 September 2026

• Can humpback whales experience grief? BBC News

15 September 2026

• Iceland whaling ban plan threatens to leave Japan alone in defending industry South China Morning Post
• ‘This is our culture’: Japan defenders stand firm as Iceland plans whaling ban South China Morning Post