we asked whale expert Sigursteinn Másson about the Iceland whaling industry

Q 1: How did you first get involved in IFAW’s campaign to end whaling in Iceland? How has the whaling industry and culture changed since you first joined the campaign? Is there hope?

I was first approached by Robbie Marsland, IFAW´s UK director, in the spring of 2003. The government had decided to start "scientific minke whaling" and IFAW wanted to find someone in Iceland for counselling and public relations. At that time, I had an advertising and a PR agency, and had previously been a television journalist and documentary filmmaker for over a decade.

It was obvious back then that within Iceland there were strong pro-whaling sentiments. Only one Member of Parliament was openly skeptical about the ongoing whaling off Iceland’s shores. Media outlets were all supportive of whaling, and any anti-whaling opinions would widely be seen as treason. Even some whale watch tour operators were pro-whaling, or at least indifferent to it. The tourism sector never spoke up against whaling. This has changed dramatically, however, and that paradigm shift continues to be seen in annual Gallup opinion polls IFAW conducts in Iceland. The biggest difference for me personally is that people who once would avoid me or shout at me angrily in the streets now greet me in a friendly manner. Not only is there is now hope, but also a united mission to put an end to commercial whaling. 

Q 2: There is a false connotation that consuming minke whale meat is a living cultural custom for Icelanders, when in reality only two percent of the population today claims to eat whale meat regularly. Can you expand on the connection local Icelanders have to whales and surrounding marine mammals?

In 2018, only two percent of Icelanders said they ate whale meat six or more times over the previous twelve months. In fact, 84 percent of Icelanders said they have never tasted whale meat at all. The consumption of whale meat in Iceland was historically connected to the Westfjords and a few places in North and East Iceland. This meat was mainly sourced from stranded whales and occasionally from foreign whaling companies operating along the coast from 1613 until the first half of the last century.

In addition, years of harsh anti-whaling tactics may have also incited even greater unity across the whaling industry itself. Iceland is a relatively young republic and our struggle to enlarge our economic zone in the 50´s & 70´s, combined with the fight against anti-whaling organisations in the 80´s, shaped public sentiments, attitude and political policy in this country for decades. And continues to do so today.

Q 3: Some argue that fin whaling provides greater job opportunities for Icelanders and boosts the country’s economy. Why are sustainable industries like whale watching a better solution? And can they be just as profitable, if not more?

I have not heard such arguments for some years now, but they were certainly loud before. A big part of our campaign in Iceland has been to educate not only tourists, but also Icelanders with the message that whale watching is sustainable, profitable, and whale-friendly. For the last fifteen years or so, whale watching has provided more jobs than the whaling industry, around 400 jobs in total over the summer time. It is public knowledge, published repeatedly in several Icelandic media, that minke whaling has been losing money every year since it resumed this century. The fact that Hvalur Inc. has not used its license and quota to hunt fin whales for half of the years since it resumed whale hunting in 2009 says it all. 

 Q 4: Why is it important for whales and humans to coexist? How can the general public spread this message of coexistence?

This is a very good question. Looking at history, humans have shown that when it comes to whales it is possible to create a wide international consensus about protection. Only three countries in the world are still conducting commercial whaling. When Hvalur Inc. started its operation in 1949, 20 countries were actively whaling, including the US, UK, and Australia. Whales are a magnificent symbol of the wild and unspoiled nature at its best. They are also incredibly peaceful despite their size and dominant role in the ocean. By completely protecting whales from commercial hunting, I believe that a model of international cooperation and mutual understanding can be taken to new levels to address additional urgent environmental issues such as climate change.

Q 5: How much of an impact can we make by being responsible tourists? What are some tips for people who want to develop better habits and travel sustainably? 

When it comes to whales in Iceland and Norway, it is important that tourists do not taste whale meat. There is no question that the Meet Us Don´t Eat Us (MUDEU) campaign has considerably decreased the whale meat market in Iceland. In 2009, 81 minke whales were hunted in Iceland and 40 percent of tourists on whale watching vessels said they had tasted minke whale meat. We started focusing on tourists’ consumption in 2011 with MUDEU. Last year, a total of six minke whales were hunted and 11 percent of tourists said they had tasted the meat. The interesting thing in this campaign has been to learn how a large percentage of tourists do not make the connection between tasting a whale and killing a whale. Responsible tourism has never been more important than it is now, as we face a growing number of endangered animals and urgent climate issues. Individual behavior makes a great difference, but it is also important to carefully select the most responsible tourism operators. In Iceland, Icewhale operators are supposed to follow a code of conduct and therefore we recommend that people book whale watching trips with them.