New report reveals harpooned whales take up to two hours to die.

A recent report by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) found that over 40% of the fin whales killed during the country’s most recent whaling season did not die instantly, instead suffering a slow and painful death. 

Experts examined the carcasses of some of the slaugtered mammals and analysed footage of the hunts. They found that 40% of the fin whales shot by explosive harpoons struggled for approximately 11 and a half minutes before they died, while two took more than an hour to die, with one taking almost two hours. 

The report found that the time it took for a harpooned whale to die (known as ‘time to death’) was too long. As the “best known” methods were used during the hunt given the conditions under which the hunts were conducted, the provisions on hunting in the Animal Welfare Act were not violated. However, MAST questioned whether the hunting of large whales could meet animal welfare objectives given the prolonged time to death and has referred its findings to an expert animal welfare council. 

Fin whales are the second largest species of cetaceans after the blue whale. Often referred to as the greyhound of the ocean, fin whales can swim at speeds of up to 45km/hour and have a life expectancy of over 100 years. They are currently listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. 

The report found that of the 148 whales killed, 36 (24%) were shot more than once, with five being shot three times, and four whales needing to be shot four times. One whale that was harpooned in the back was chased for five hours, eventually escaping with grievous injuries.

Moreover, 73% of the whales killed were female, 11 of which were pregnant, and one lactating. 

Commenting on the findings, Patrick Ramage, senior director at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), said

“Whatever their views on whaling, both Icelanders and the international community will be horrified by these findings. No animal – however it is killed - should suffer for such a long time. Whales are sentient, intelligent and complex creatures that suffer both physically and psychologically during this traumatic massacre. This new evidence underscores how outdated this practice is. It has to end immediately—no one in Iceland is dependent on this meat.” 

The report was conducted as a result of the new whaling regulations announced by the Icelandic Minister of Fisheries & Agriculture in July 2022. The regulations, similar to those that govern the slaughtering and hunting of other animals in the country, are based on Article 21 of Iceland’s Animal Welfare Act which stipulates that animals must be killed swiftly and painlessly, and causing them unnecessary fear or pain shall be avoided. Furthermore, the regulations stipulate that the last commercial whaler in Iceland, Kristjan Loftsson, and his whaling company Hvalur hf, must accept representatives of Iceland’s Fisheries Directorate on board with surveillance cameras to film the hunt.

During the hunt, a whale is chased until the vessel is close enough for the whalers to fire a grenade-tipped harpoon at the animal. The harpoon should penetrate about a metre into the whale, where it explodes and releases spring-loaded claws which embed themselves into the whale’s flesh. The explosion is supposed to create enough energy to kill or render the whale unconscious. However, this is dependent on where on the whale’s body the harpoon hits. Firing with accuracy from a moving vessel at a moving target is an exceptionally challenging task, and so the whale may not be killed immediately. Additioanlly, not all of the harpoons explode. 

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) called for a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982, which came into place from the 1985/1986 season in an effort to preserve the dwindling populations. Both Japan and Norway voted against the moratorium. Japan left the IWC in 2019 and resumed commercial whaling the same year. Norway and Iceland both catch whales commercially within their respective Exclusive Economic Zones. Both countries have established their own catch limits and provide information on their catches and associated scientific data to the IWC. 

In Hong Kong, the sale of whale meat and whale products are illegal. 

Courtesy of Emma Brady