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🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Protester Boards Icelandic Whaling Ship in Attempt to Halt Voyage

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A lone protester boarded an Icelandic whaling vessel, chaining himself to the crow's nest in an attempt to halt its voyage.
  • The protester, Hólmsteinn Harðarson, expressed distress upon realizing the ship was heading out to sea for a hunt after a two-year hiatus.
  • Iceland, alongside Norway and Japan, continues commercial whaling despite international criticism and calls from animal welfare groups to cease the practice.

An anti-whaling protester's attempt to stop a whaling vessel from setting sail in Iceland ended with him aboard the ship, expressing emotional distress as it headed out to sea. Hólmsteinn Harðarson chained himself to the crow's nest of the Hval 9 before it departed Reykjavík on Friday, marking the resumption of whaling in Iceland after a two-year pause.

I believed that we would possibly just take a little detour and turn around, but that didn't happen.

— Hólmsteinn HarðarsonThe protester described his initial belief that the ship would not proceed with the hunt.

Harðarson chained himself to the mast of the Hval 9 before it left the port. He spent over two hours in the crow's nest, initially believing the ship might only take a short detour. "I believed that we would possibly just take a little detour and turn around, but that didn't happen," Harðarson recounted. He described breaking down in tears upon realizing the ship was committed to its whaling voyage.

I'm very grateful to the crew for how they reacted when I broke down. I felt so bad, I started crying.

— Hólmsteinn HarðarsonHe expressed his emotional reaction upon realizing the ship's intent.

Iceland is one of the few nations, alongside Norway and Japan, that openly permits commercial whaling, drawing significant opposition from animal welfare organizations and the public. Despite international condemnation, one of Iceland's two remaining whaling ships commenced its hunt this week.

I hope whaling stops. I hope people stop consuming animals and animal products, that's my hope.

— Hólmsteinn HarðarsonThe protester shared his broader aspirations for animal welfare.

Animal rights activists expressed deep disappointment, with Joanna Swabe of Humane World for Animals stating, "It is so disheartening to see Iceland's whaling boat leave port to begin another season of whale slaughter despite overwhelming evidence that there is no humane way to kill a whale." Iceland had previously canceled its whale hunts in 2024 and 2025 due to reduced demand and profitability concerns. The International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986 due to declining whale stocks.

It is so disheartening to see Iceland's whaling boat leave port to begin another season of whale slaughter despite overwhelming evidence that there is no humane way to kill a whale.

— Joanna SwabeAn animal rights activist expressed dismay at the resumption of whaling.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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