Iceland’s Prime Minister hints at potential whaling licenses amid caretaker government

Recent comments from Iceland’s Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson suggest that whaling licenses could soon be issued under the current caretaker government. In an interview, Benediktsson, who also heads the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, revealed that Hvalur hf., a whaling company, has submitted an application for a license. When asked about the potential for issuing such licenses, he stated, “It will just have to be seen how it fits into the administrative process. If there is time, it can happen.”

This isn’t the first instance of controversial decisions regarding whaling occurring after a government’s dissolution or loss of majority. A notable precedent was set by Einar K. Guðfinnsson, then Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, who authorized whaling just one day after his coalition government collapsed in January 2009. His decision, made amid significant public pressure, included a full-page advertisement in the national newspaper urging the resumption of whaling activities.

In subsequent years, other ministers have similarly made contentious decisions just before leaving office. For instance, Steingrímur J. Sigfússon expanded whale protection areas after his government lost the majority in elections, while Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir extended the protected zones about a month after her government had fallen, which drew criticism from within her coalition.

Current political dynamics indicate that decisions surrounding whaling could again emerge in the near future, reflecting the enduring contentiousness of this issue in Icelandic politics.