EU membership would end Iceland's whale hunting, report says

Icelandic whale hunting would cease if the country were to join the European Union, a scenario detailed in a report by the British newspaper Daily Telegraph.

Kristján Loftsson, CEO and owner of Hvalur hf., expressed skepticism about Iceland's potential return to EU membership talks. He argued that Icelanders are not "foolish enough" to pursue accession, questioning the EU's financial health by asking, "Who would want to join an alliance on the brink of bankruptcy?" Loftsson also defended whale hunting as a sustainable practice, comparable to other resource utilization, stating, "Whale hunting is not unlike other resource utilization. If carried out sustainably, it can continue forever."

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Whale hunting is not unlike other resource utilization. If carried out sustainably, it can continue forever.

The Daily Telegraph report further asserts that the Icelandic government intends to introduce legislation to eventually ban whale hunting. The foundation for this claim remains uncertain. However, Minister of Industry Hanna Katrín Friðriksson had previously indicated earlier in the summer that a review of whale hunting laws was necessary. She did not, however, specify any intention to propose a ban.

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In my opinion, Icelanders are not foolish enough to vote for it. Talks will therefore not begin. Who would want to join an alliance on the brink of bankruptcy?