Whales take up to two hours to die after being harpooned, Icelandic report finds

Report by country’s food and veterinary authority questions whether hunting large whales can meet animal welfare objectives

Whales have taken as long as two hours to die during Icelandic hunts, according to a report by the Icelandic food and veterinary authority.

A number of the carcasses of the fin whales shot by explosive harpoons during hunts in Iceland last year were examined by the organisation, which found that almost 40 % struggled for approximately 11 and a half minutes before they died, while two took more than an hour. A quarter of the fin whales, the second largest mammal on Earth after the blue whale, considered “vulnerable” globally by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, had to be harpooned a second time. Only 59% died instantly.