June 20, 2023

The decision to end whaling in Iceland came about because of the incredible efforts by so many people for so many years. Many organizations in Iceland and around the world have contributed to this special day.

The efforts of Sea Shepherd UK over the years have provided a constant opposition, and SS UK volunteers have kept the pressure on Kristjan Loftsson on the ground at his whale meat processing plant where every single crime Loftsson has committed since 2018 has been documented. A big thank you to Rob Read and his crew. Everyone on the shore crew did an amazing job with intel, reconnaissance, and documentation. 

Sea Shepherd Iceland now using the name Sjávarhirðir has also been working on the ground in Iceland in support of both Sea Shepherd UK and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.

Sea Shepherd France and Sea Shepherd Brazil also contributed greatly to the success of the campaign.

Unfortunately, SSCS and Sea Shepherd Global were opposed to this campaign.

Much appreciation to the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) for their excellent report demonstrating how inhumane the whaling is, and much appreciation also to Icelandic Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Svandís Svavarsdóttir for making the politically courageous decision to deny permits to Kristjan Loftsson to kill whales this season.

Most importantly, the campaign would not have been possible without the support of John Paul DeJoria’s Peace Love and Happiness Foundation.

The crew with the Captain Paul Watson Foundation onboard the John Paul DeJoria made the final push.

The Minister announced the ban on whaling just hours after the John Paul DeJoria arrived in Icelandic waters.

The last thing the government of Iceland needed was a major confrontation in their waters over the controversy of illegal whaling.

Our reputation proceeded us – and if Loftsson was permitted to go whaling it would have put us on a collision course with the Icelandic Coast Guard, a confrontation that the Icelandic Coast Guard could not win even if they won, because win or lose it would put Iceland on trial over the fact that Loftsson’s whaling ships are a violation of both the International Whaling Commission’s Global Moratorium on whaling, and also the Icelandic Act on Animal Welfare [55/2013]. 

Based on our reputation, Iceland understood that we were prepared to put our ships, our lives and our freedom on the line. If arrested, we would make the arrest political and a trial would have been the opportunity to expose Loftsson’s crimes to the world. The Icelandic Coastguard would have had to explain why they had failed to prevent Loftsson’s ships from sailing to illegally kill fin whales, and had instead acted against our ship and crew who were there to uphold international and Icelandic law.

The John Paul DeJoria will remain on station in Icelandic waters for a few more days to assess the situation and if the ban holds, the crew will be only a few days away should Kristján Loftsson decide to defy his government.

This is a great victory for endangered Fin Whales, for marine conservation and for our planet.

Photo: The Havlur 9 today dockside in Reykjavik. The crew are gone and the harpoon gun has been covered. Both the Hvalur 9 and the Hvalur 8 have been grounded for the duration of the summer.