We have a cheer because Iceland’s on-again, off-again seasonal commercial slaughter of 200 fin whales (typically mid-June to September) has been cancelled for 2025, since whale-killing is “no longer economically viable,” according to a spokesperson for Iceland’s largest whale-killing company.

A voluntary global moratorium on commercial whale-killing has been in effect since 1986, although Iceland, Norway and Japan have thumbed their noses at the ban despite international disgust, and a plummeting market for whale flesh consumption.

Most Icelanders say they hope to end the revolting tradition once and for all, having knowledge of the suffering imposed on whales.

Iceland sells almost all its whale meat to Japan.

Last summer, when Iceland’s government expected to allow 129 fin whales to be hunted, FoA said, “Any ethical person would cancel a visit to Iceland and forget about traveling there or buying Icelandic products until their foolish leaders commit to a total, permanent ban.” At the last moment in 2024, the whale whale-killing company opted out of hunting whales.

Nearly every civilized country on Earth has observed a worldwide moratorium of whale-killing for the preposterous reason of serving whale meat mostly to Japan’s tourists. Some Japanese tourists remain curious to try whale meat, but whale meat consumption has declined in Japan in spite of marketing to promote it as a cultural endeavor.  Japan even launched whale meat vending machines to boost interest yet there’s not enough demand to make the reprehensible slaughter profitable.