Iceland resumes commercial whaling after a break since 2023, according to reporting from Euronews and the Japan Times. Iceland’s Marine and Freshwater Research Institute recommends that catches for the 2026 whaling season should not exceed 150 fin whales. The fin whale quota is presented as a limit for the upcoming season rather than an expansion beyond earlier caps.
Both outlets frame Iceland’s decision in the context of the small number of countries that still allow whaling openly. Japan Times notes that Iceland is among the only three countries that openly permit whaling, alongside Norway and Japan. The articles together indicate that Iceland’s resumption is taking place within a regulated framework, with a specified ceiling for fin whale catches in 2026.
The sources do not dispute whether whaling will proceed beyond the institute’s recommendation, but they agree on the key points: Iceland restarts the hunt after its 2023 pause and sets a 2026 fin whale catch limit.
