page_title: Whaling in Iceland
hierarchical_section_title: Whaling in Iceland
caption_attribution_description: English: Whaling vessels in Reykjavík harbour, Iceland. After 14 years mothballed, Iceland's whaling fleet resumed scientific whaling in 2003, to international outcry but with strong domestic support, and has since restarted commercial whaling, in 2006. Picture taken by Wurzeller on 27 June 2008
context_page_description: Whaling in Iceland began with spear-drift hunting as early as the 12th century, and continued in a vestigial form until the late 19th century, when other countries introduced modern commercial practices. Today, Iceland is one of a handful of countries that formally object to an ongoing moratorium established by the International Whaling Commission in 1986, and that still maintain a whaling fleet. One company concentrates on hunting fin whales, largely for export to Japan, while the only other one hunts minke whales for domestic consumption, as the meat is popular with tourists. In 2018, Icelandic whalers were accused of slaughtering a blue whale.
  The country's cultural relationship with whales is reflected in the Icelandic language: hvalreki is the word for "beached whale", while also meaning something good that is unexpectedly yours or at your disposal. Iceland now has its own whale watching sector, which exists in uneasy tension with the whaling industry.
context_section_description: Whaling in Iceland began with spear-drift hunting as early as the 12th century, and continued in a vestigial form until the late 19th century, when other countries introduced modern commercial practices. Today, Iceland is one of a handful of countries that formally object to an ongoing moratorium established by the International Whaling Commission in 1986, and that still maintain a whaling fleet. One company concentrates on hunting fin whales, largely for export to Japan, while the only other one hunts minke whales for domestic consumption, as the meat is popular with tourists. In 2018, Icelandic whalers were accused of slaughtering a blue whale.
  The country's cultural relationship with whales is reflected in the Icelandic language: hvalreki is the word for "beached whale", while also meaning something good that is unexpectedly yours or at your disposal. Iceland now has its own whale watching sector, which exists in uneasy tension with the whaling industry.
caption: Icelandic whaling vessels in Reykjavík harbour
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