The Icelandic Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries has issued the first whale's whale slaughtering license for Hvalur HF, despite protesting animal defenders.
The report was announced by the Ministry on June 11.
The license issued by the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Iceland, Bjarki Olsen Gunnarsdot, will be in operation during the current hunting season. According to the terms, Hvalur HF has received a 99 whale slaughter permit in the Greenland and Western Iceland region, as well as 29 whales in the Eastern Iceland region and the Faroe Islands.
"This decision is based on a careful approach and reflects the growing attention of the government to the sustainable use of resources," the Ministry's statement reads.
The whaling season in Iceland lasts from mid -June to the end of September. The country is one of the three world powers, which allow commercial whaling, along with Norway and Japan.
In recent years, this practice has become the subject of controversy: the public, activists and international celebrities have urged the power of Iceland to stop whaling. In addition, economists point out that the impact of this industry on the country's economy is insignificant.
Last year, the decision of the Iceland government to temporarily prohibit whale slaughter had provoked controversy within the government coalition.
