Millionaire Icelandic whaler vows to kill up to 238 whales
Kristján Loftsson, the owner of whaling company Hvalur hf, maintains that the whale killings he oversees will continue throughout 2018.
When the International Whaling Commission came into effect in the 1960s, whales became classified as protected stock. Despite this long-standing law, the killing of whales has continued to thrive in certain pockets, specifically in the Nordic country of Iceland.
Recent reports suggest that millionaire whaling company owner Kristján Loftsson is on a crusade, planning to kill upwards of 200 whales by the end of 2018.
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Millionaire who killed rare whale hybrid 'vows to kill 150 more' https://t.co/6rwjml1dRN
— The Independent (@Independent) July 23, 2018
Loftsson has laid out his motives behind killing whales before, saying that he believes hunting will "prevent strandings and danger to shipping traffic" in the oceans.
Icelandic law prohibits the killing of blue whales. Loftsson has defended the most recent killing, saying the animal was neither a blue whale nor a fin whale. The loopholes in the enforcement of laws around whale killing are the reason Loftsson's company is still operational.
Graphic images show the whale in question being cut up on the harbour.
The following image may be offensive to sensitive viewers.
Loftsson has previously claimed that his company works to find ways to use whale meat in foodstuffs and medicine. This time around, the meat cannot be traded at all.
Loftsson will not be deterred and has announced that he has a quota to kill up to 238 whales in 2018.