Reykjavik, Iceland (AFP) – Iceland’s government said Tuesday that it had granted a license to hunt 128 fin whales for the country’s sole whaler amid widespread criticism of the practice.

“The Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdottir, has issued a license to Hvalur for the hunting of fin whales,” the government said in a statement. The license for the 2024 season permits the hunting of 128 whales, down from 161 whales the previous year.

nzg/jll/js

© Agence France-Presse

Featured image credit: Andrea Holien | Pexels

Image: COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago, COP30 CEO Ana Toni and Liliam Chagas, Director for Climate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attend a press conference during the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30)
Climate talks run into night as COP30 hosts seek breakthroughNews

Climate talks run into night as COP30 hosts seek breakthrough

Belém, Brazil | AFP | Muser NewsDesk COP30 hosts Brazil on Monday extended negotiations into the night at the UN climate talks as they pushed for…
SourceSourceNovember 18, 2025 Full article
Satellite image: Wildfire in the Nahuel Huapi National Park, Argentina
Image of the day: Wildfire in Nahuel Huapi National ParkNews

Image of the day: Wildfire in Nahuel Huapi National Park

A wildfire that ignited on December 25, 2024, in Argentina’s Nahuel Huapi National Park has burned over 6,900 hectares of land. The fire, sparked by…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskFebruary 3, 2025 Full article
Image: Aerial drone view of thermal station's tube visible above the clouds with smoke coming out
Italy challenges EU over key climate toolNews

Italy challenges EU over key climate tool

Rome, Italy | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Italy is once again challenging the EU's green transition, pushing for an overhaul of the bloc's carbon trading scheme…
SourceSourceMarch 6, 2026 Full article