×
Pledge to Postpone your trip to Iceland until the whaling stops.
Anya M.
started this petition to
Icelandic Government
To the Icelandic Government,
I pledge to postpone any trip to Iceland for as long as commercial whaling is permitted there.
Beginning in June, 150 fin whales and 168 minke whales are set to be harpooned off Iceland's coast, over 300 whales killed in a single summer. Fin whales are the second-largest animal on Earth, whose global population is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
The majority of Icelanders oppose whaling. The government has already promised legislation to end it this autumn. One minister, Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, Iceland's Minister of Industries has publicly stated that commercial whaling is not in the public interest. She has the power to stop the 2026 hunt with a single decision.
But she has not stopped it yet. And 150 fin whales cannot wait until autumn.
This isn't Iceland's whaling. It's because one private company, Hvalur hf., is betting that Iceland will not stop them in time.
There is barely a market for it. Stockpiles of unsold whale meat from 2023 still sit in Icelandic warehouses. Whaling itself loses money. It is bankrolled by Loftsson's other business interests, not by genuine demand.
It is documented as cruel and not in accordance with Iceland’s animal welfare laws. Iceland's own Food and Veterinary Authority found that one in four whales required a second harpoon to die. Some took up to two hours. The country's own animal welfare board has declared the practice incompatible with Icelandic law.
Iceland's economy does not need it. Tourism is one in three Icelandic jobs and €3 billion a year. Whale-watching alone generates $26 million annually. Commercial whaling accounts for less than 1% of marine exports. Whales are also critical for the marine ecosystem and are worth more to the world alive.
So why is it happening? Because one private company is betting that Iceland will not stop them in time.
We are betting otherwise.
Iceland's economy relies on tourism, and tourists have a choice. By postponing our trips this summer, we send a message to Iceland's government, tourism industry, and Hvalur hf. cannot ignore: the world is watching. We will return when the harpoons stop.
Sign the pledge. Postpone your trip.
Iceland can remain beautiful in 2026 if the Icelandic government listens to its people.
Let’s not wait until 2027.
I pledge to postpone any trip to Iceland for as long as commercial whaling is permitted there.
Beginning in June, 150 fin whales and 168 minke whales are set to be harpooned off Iceland's coast, over 300 whales killed in a single summer. Fin whales are the second-largest animal on Earth, whose global population is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
The majority of Icelanders oppose whaling. The government has already promised legislation to end it this autumn. One minister, Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, Iceland's Minister of Industries has publicly stated that commercial whaling is not in the public interest. She has the power to stop the 2026 hunt with a single decision.
But she has not stopped it yet. And 150 fin whales cannot wait until autumn.
This isn't Iceland's whaling. It's because one private company, Hvalur hf., is betting that Iceland will not stop them in time.
There is barely a market for it. Stockpiles of unsold whale meat from 2023 still sit in Icelandic warehouses. Whaling itself loses money. It is bankrolled by Loftsson's other business interests, not by genuine demand.
It is documented as cruel and not in accordance with Iceland’s animal welfare laws. Iceland's own Food and Veterinary Authority found that one in four whales required a second harpoon to die. Some took up to two hours. The country's own animal welfare board has declared the practice incompatible with Icelandic law.
Iceland's economy does not need it. Tourism is one in three Icelandic jobs and €3 billion a year. Whale-watching alone generates $26 million annually. Commercial whaling accounts for less than 1% of marine exports. Whales are also critical for the marine ecosystem and are worth more to the world alive.
So why is it happening? Because one private company is betting that Iceland will not stop them in time.
We are betting otherwise.
Iceland's economy relies on tourism, and tourists have a choice. By postponing our trips this summer, we send a message to Iceland's government, tourism industry, and Hvalur hf. cannot ignore: the world is watching. We will return when the harpoons stop.
Sign the pledge. Postpone your trip.
Iceland can remain beautiful in 2026 if the Icelandic government listens to its people.
Let’s not wait until 2027.
Posted
(Updated )
Report this as inappropriate
There was an error when submitting your files and/or report.