Fin whales can be a beautiful sight in the ocean, but unfortunately, they face many threats, one of which is humans.
According to Echo Watch, Iceland has given a whaling license to kill fin whales in Iceland and Greenland. The company, Hvalur hf., will be allowed to kill 29 in East Iceland and the Faroe Islands and 99 in Greenland and West Iceland.
What's happening?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has fin whales listed as vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species.
Japan is also giving out whaling licenses, and most of the meat caught is sold in the country.
According to Echo Watch, "the whaling season is from the middle of June to late September."
The decision to award a whaling license has received criticism from animal rights groups.
Patrick Ramage, a director at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, told the Guardian: "It's hard to fathom how and why this green light to kill 128 fin whales is being given."
He added: "There is clearly no way to kill a whale at sea without inflicting unthinkable cruelty."
Why is giving a license to kill fin whales concerning?
While fin whale's only predator, other than humans, is the killer whale, they face many threats in the ocean.
According to Adam Peyman, the wildlife programs director for Humane Society International, fin whales are in danger of getting tangled in fish nets or hit by ships, as well as by pollution and a warming planet.
In 2023, it was found that whales were being struck by ships at an alarming rate. This was due to whales navigating unknown areas because of rising ocean temperatures.
In addition, they also don't have as much food because of overfishing.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, fin whales were not always the target of whalers because they were fast swimmers. However, as fishing modernized, they killed them in significant numbers in the mid-1900s. Almost 725,000 were killed just in the Southern Hemisphere. A whaling ban in the '70s helped bring back its population, but numbers have not bounced back to where they were.
It's not just disappointing that these vulnerable animals are being killed. It can also affect humans. The Wilderness Society points out that animals going extinct can increase the chances of diseases because it can weaken the defense mechanisms against some diseases, and with humans venturing more into formerly wild areas, they are exposed to new diseases.
What's being done about ending whaling?
Organizations like the Whale and Dolphin Conservation are working to end whaling for good.
The good news is that according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, demand for whale meat is decreasing so much that Japan is trying to promote whale meat to older consumers with little effect.
To help protect fin whales, you can invest your money in organizations fighting to protect these animals. You can also use your voice to end whaling, especially if you are in a country where whaling is legal.
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