Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.icelandreview.com
British actors Dame Judi Dench and Ricky Gervais are among a group of public figures who have written to Iceland’s Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, urging the government to make this summer’s whale hunt the country’s last.
The letter, sent through the animal welfare organisation Humane World for Animals, welcomes the minister’s stated intention to introduce legislation in the next parliamentary session that would ban commercial whaling.
What’s the Story?
Original source: Vísir
- British celebrities have urged Iceland to ban commercial whaling.
- The letter supports proposed legislation expected to be introduced by the government.
- It follows renewed scrutiny of whale welfare during this year’s hunt.
Welfare Concerns Raised
The signatories argue that Iceland should replace whale hunting with whale watching and “begin a new chapter” in its relationship with whales.
The letter says it is “deeply saddened” that commercial whaling resumed this summer and notes that 18 fin whales have already been killed by Hvalur hf.
It also refers to reports that one whale took around 30 minutes to die after being struck multiple times with explosive harpoons, arguing that Iceland should ensure these are “the last whales to die in Icelandic hunts.”
Other signatories include sailor Tracy Edwards, photographer and filmmaker Rankin, filmmaker and activist Mary McCartney, and singer Leona Lewis.
The appeal comes as the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) investigates the circumstances surrounding the death of a fin whale shot during the hunt in June.
According to the authority, the whale was struck repeatedly over a period of around 30 minutes before it died. MAST Director General Hrönn Jörundsdóttir has said Icelandic animal welfare legislation requires whales to be killed as quickly as possible while minimising suffering.
Dench and Gervais have previously campaigned against whaling in countries including Japan and the Faroe Islands, and the letter has also been reported by the British newspaper the Daily Express.
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