Ninety fin whales caught so far this season

Ninety fin whales have been caught so far this whaling season, Morgunblaðið reports. The two whaling vessels Hvalur 8 and Hvalur 9 resumed fishing two evenings ago after spending two days moored in Hvalfjörður.

Kristján Loftsson, chief executive of the Hvalur company, said the whales had recently been caught southwest of Reykjanes, where the vessels had a short distance to travel and large numbers of whales were present.

“There is a lot of life in these waters, and it is not only fin whales but also blue whales, sei whales and humpback whales. The whole mix is there,” he told Morgunblaðið.

Weather conditions have been poor during the season, which began on June 19. The vessels have spent more than 20 days in port because of rough weather, an unusually long period, Loftsson said.

He said the duration of the remaining fishing season would depend on the weather and declined to predict how long the vessels would remain at sea. The forecast for next week was not particularly favourable, he said, although large numbers of whales were still in the area.

The season’s quota is 150 fin whales, but it is clear that the quota will not be filled. By comparison, 146 fin whales were caught in 2018 and 148 in 2022. During the brief 2023 whaling season, 24 fin whales were landed in Hvalfjörður.