In 2022, Iceland killed 160 Fin whales, the second largest animal in the world: an endangered species. In fact, the International Commission whaling commission has banned its capture worldwide. How is it then that the slaughter continues? A crew from Swiss television RSI went to Iceland, intercepted the whalers and documented their cruel hunting methods. The result is an investigation that highlights a system of omerta spread throughout the country, a silent complicity behind which there is a multi-million dollar business aimed exclusively at the Japanese market. Whaling is not a tradition for Iceland, as it is for Norway. The meat of this cetacean is in fact practically all exported to Japan, purely for business. A very strong contrast for a nation that focuses on ecological and nature tourism, where one of the sectors that generates the most income is whale watching.
Another controversial aspect also emerges from the investigation. The problematic nature of the controls is confirmed in an exclusive interview with the president of the IWC (International Whaling Commission), who is also an official of the Federal Veterinary Office in Bern.
The journalistic investigation “The Whaler” has contributed to the suspension, in summer 2023, of Fin whale killing in Iceland. Dir. Philippe Blanc