The controversial whale hunting season in Iceland has been canceled for the second consecutive time.

Currently, the controversial practice of "whaling," which involves the hunting and killing of whales and the sale of their meat, is only permitted in Iceland, Norway, and Japan.

Iceland's largest whaling company, Hvalur hf., will not go hunting this season. This will be the second consecutive year that the company will not hunt whales during the summer season when the hunting ban is lifted. Although Hvalur is not the only company permitted to hunt whales in Iceland, it is by far the largest in the country with a license to hunt 200 fin whales this season. The company's CEO, Kristjan Loftsson, stated that the decision was communicated to employees due to the global economic situation. Speaking to the Icelandic media, Loftsson said, "Given the current economic situation, Hvalur HF sees no other option but to stay in port and wait for better days. The situation will be reassessed next year." Loftsson mentioned that the economic situation in Japan, where Hvalur HF sells almost all its products, has reached a point where whaling is no longer economically viable, citing factors like inflation. "In our main market, Japan, product price developments have recently been unfavorable and are getting worse," Loftsson added, "The prices of our products are now so low that there is no point in hunting." The company also decided not to go whaling last season. At that time, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Svandis Svavarsdottir, made a rather political move by granting the season permit just one day before it was scheduled to begin. Svavarsdottir had also stated that there was "very little justification" for allowing whaling after the current quotas expire in 2024. Following this, it was announced that whaling would be discontinued after 2024 due to declining demand and harsh criticism of the country's management. However, subsequent changes led to the decision to continue whaling under new rules and regulations. Loftsson stated that the late issuance of the permit made it impossible for the company to plan and execute its operations properly in 2024. Whaling continues to be a contentious issue in Iceland. The public is divided on whether to support or oppose this practice. There are only three countries that permit this controversial practice: Iceland, Norway, and Japan. The whaling season in Iceland generally lasts from mid-June to September. However, in recent years, Icelandic whalers have been struggling to fill their quotas. IP-Utgerd, Iceland's second-largest whaling company, ceased its operations in 2020, citing declining profits due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced demand for whale meat.