Regulation No. 895/2023 on fin whale hunting.

This Icelandic regulation governs hunting of fin whales, aiming to improve the legal and technical framework for such hunting by ensuring that equipment and hunting methods meet minimum animal-welfare standards. Its core principle is that hunting must always aim for instantaneous death, or otherwise the shortest possible killing time with the least possible pain; methods causing unnecessary mutilation or suffering are prohibited. The regulation assigns animal-welfare supervision to the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority and other hunting-control functions to the Directorate of Fisheries. It requires notification before hunting trips, coordination between the authorities, and compliance with relevant rules in the Schedule to the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. It sets detailed requirements for hunting equipment, and prohibits shooting without an attached explosive harpoon and line, except for follow-up shots under specified conditions.
The regulation further lays down detailed operational rules for fin whale hunting. Hunting must take place in daylight and only under conditions likely to allow rapid killing, taking account of wave height, weather and visibility, although wounded animals must be followed and killed regardless of those conditions. Before shooting, hunters must screen for nearby calves and estimate the whale’s length to avoid hunting animals accompanied by calves or below the minimum size. Shots must be aimed at a defined target area, and the annexes include diagrams showing the required target zone and permitted shooting angles. If the whale does not die immediately, a follow-up shot must be carried out without delay. The regulation requires experienced crew, specialised training for shooters, a quality manual covering calf screening, length estimation, follow-up shots and incident reporting, and detailed records of each hunting trip. It also provides for fees and penalties.