Iceland, Japan, Norway are the last countries killing whales with an explosive harpoon an industry that serves no purpose

 a beautiful video 

The Icelandic government has confirmed that it will submit a bill in February 2027 for a thorough revision of the whaling law. Particular attention will be paid to the possibility of a permanent ban on whaling. The cabinet holds a majority in parliament, bringing a historic end to the bloody hunt one step closer.

Iceland takes step towards permanent ban on whaling | Photo: public domain

The proposal revises the Whaling Act of 1949, which has barely been amended since its introduction. It is based on a 2024 report by a working group that investigated whaling. The legal and constitutional aspects of a permanent ban are also examined in this context.

A harpoon

An important milestone

Animal rights organization Humane World for Animals reacts with delight to the announcement. Spokesperson Wendy Higgins calls it a turning point:

This is truly an important milestone in the efforts to consign cruel and unnecessary whaling in Iceland to the past. There is significant political and public support for this bill, and there are compelling ethical, veterinary, legal, and conservation reasons to hope that it succeeds.

Higgins points out that the whales are killed with an exploding harpoon and that this happens “for an industry that serves no purpose whatsoever”.

85 fin whales killed

But while politicians are working towards a possible ban, whaling continues unabated. This season, 85 fin whales have already been killed in Iceland , out of a quota of 150.

And it doesn't stop there. Camera footage shows that at least seven unborn calves were killed. Their mothers were pregnant when they were killed. During the processing of the carcasses at the whaling station, the calves were cut from their dead mothers and disposed of. Because the calves were not hunted individually, they do not count towards the quota of 150 whales.

Vulnerable

Fin whales are listed as vulnerable worldwide on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. However, the North Atlantic population receives a more favorable assessment. Furthermore, research by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority MAST, published in 2023, showed how long the death struggle during hunting can last. Of the whales studied, 41 percent did not die immediately. For the animals that did not die immediately, it took an average of 11.5 minutes for death to occur. For one whale, this took nearly an hour, and for another, even two hours.

Ban on whaling

The announcement follows years of pressure from animal rights organizations and well-known figures from home and abroad. This summer, Dame Judi Dench, Ricky Gervais, and singer Leona Lewis, among others, wrote a letter to the Icelandic Minister of Industry, Hanna Katrín Friðriksson. In it, they expressed their “deep sadness” over the killing of whales and called on Iceland to ban the hunt.

Tourists eat the meat

Iceland, Japan, and Norway are the only countries that have engaged in commercial whaling in recent years. An international moratorium on commercial whaling has been in effect since 1986. Norway formally objected to this, Iceland later resumed commercial hunting with reservations, and Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 2019 and subsequently resumed commercial hunting in its own waters. In the past twenty years, Iceland killed over a thousand fin whales.

Remarkably, less than 2 percent of Icelanders eat whale meat. The meat is primarily served to foreign tourists, who are presented with it in restaurants as an 'Icelandic delicacy'. Meanwhile, eating whale meat is hardly common among Icelanders nowadays.

Economy of whaling

Economically, too, whaling is losing its viability. For years, Japan was the most important market for Icelandic fin whale meat, but it now hunts fin whales itself. Hvalur, Iceland's only remaining active whaling company, announced in August that it would cease exports to Japan. Moreover, reportedly, not all of a shipment of over 2,500 tonnes of Icelandic fin whale meat imported by Japan in 2023 has yet been sold.

And there is something else remarkable about the 'local delicacy' offered to tourists. Some of the whale meat in Icelandic restaurants does not even come from Iceland. In recent years, restaurants have also been selling imported minke whale meat from Norway.

Norway and whaling

Of the three countries, Norway now kills by far the most whales. In 2025, 429 minke whales were killed there. For 2026, the Norwegian government has even raised the quota to 1,641 animals. There is currently no talk of a ban there; the government continues to defend the hunt.

The bill will be submitted to the Icelandic parliament in February 2027. Whether it will actually include a permanent ban remains to be seen in the coming months. But for the first time, the definitive end to Icelandic whaling is explicitly on the table.

Sources:

• Humane World
• NBC News
• BNNVara
• Read also on Animals Today :

©AnimalsToday.nl Liesbeth Riekwel

Update Safe Haven For Donkeys: a rescue sanctuary in the Westbank: severely abused donkey Blondie lying in the scorching sun and Rakan sat on fire, both donkeys safe and cared for

 

Dear friends, This week, I’m taking you to Arrana, our rescue centre in the West Bank, where a small herd of rescued donkeys enjoys the care and kindness you've made possible. Among them are Blondie and Rakan the donkey. Both needed urgent help when they were rescued. Today, their lives look wonderfully different, and I’m so pleased to share some recent photos with you. Thank you for helping make these transformations possible. Wendy Safe Haven UK Office An update from Arrana in the West Bank On a recent visit to Arrana, Dr Rakan had some lovely news to share: the donkeys are doing wonderfully, with glossy coats and healthy weights. He carried out health checks and caught up with Mahmoud, who looks after the herd every day. For donkeys who have experienced injury, abandonment or neglect, this ongoing care makes all the difference. Mahmoud looks after our rescued donkeys every d day, with help from your support. When we first found Blondie, he was lying in the scorching sun, unable to stand. Severely neglected, he was dehydrated and covered in wounds. His chances of survival were poor. But gradually, Blondie began responding to treatment and care. Today, he is healthy and enjoying life alongside the herd.  Your support helps give donkeys like Blondie the treatment and care they need to recover. Blondie, when he was first found in desperate need of care. Blondie now - safe and cared for at Arrana, our rescue centre. Rakan the donkey shares his name with the vet who rescued him from the streets of Jericho in 2023. He had been deliberately set alight, leaving one ear so badly burned that Dr Rakan had to remove it. After a long period of treatment, Rakan recovered. Today, he enjoys life at Arrana, with room to roam and other donkeys for company. When we found him, Rakan the donkey had been badly abused - set alight and left to suffer. Rakan the donkey is now safe and happy at Arrana, cared for by our team. At Arrana, your support helps provide care, food, regular hoof trimming, dental care and health checks. The donkeys also spend time each day exercising freely in the paddock. For Blondie, Rakan and their companions, this means all the care they need, long after their wounds have healed. Thank you for helping give them a home where they can enjoy their lives and receive the lifelong care they deserve. Nour trims the donkeys’ hooves - one of the ways your support keeps the herd comfortable and healthy. Thank You Erna  We hope that seeing Blondie and Rakan the donkey enjoying life at Arrana is a reminder of the lasting difference your kindness makes. Your support helps provide much more than urgent treatment. It gives rescued donkeys the daily care, companionship and safe home they need to thrive, long after their wounds have healed. Thank you for helping give them a happier life. Donate to help our rescue donkeys Every donkey in our care receives all the food, health checks and love they need to thrive. We can only do this with your support. Thank you. If you'd like to read previous updates of our work, please click here to visit out blog. You can also view today's update online by clicking here. Registered charity number 1083468 Copyright © 2026 Safe Haven for Donkeys, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Safe Haven for Donkeys

Trafficking of wildlife is big business 5 baby orangutans found in India are center of a major investigation: how did the critically endangered wild orangutans get to India from Indonesia

Update:      (How it all started under this article)

Indonesia is working to bring five young orangutans discovered in Odisha, India, home as authorities investigate the suspected wildlife-trafficking network behind the operation.

According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry, the orangutans were discovered on September 8 in a forested area of Bhogarai/Udaipur in Jaleswar, Balasore District, near Odisha’s border with West Bengal. Initial information provided to the Ministry indicates that the five young orangutans are approximately 1 to 1.5 years old. They are now being cared for at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar. https://www.nandankanan.org/ 

Preliminary observations suggest the orangutans may have originated from Sumatra. However, DNA testing is still needed to determine which species of orangutan they are and where they came from.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry is coordinating with India’s CITES Management Authority, the Indian Embassy in Jakarta, the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi, Indonesia’s scientific authority, and other government agencies as it works to verify the orangutans’ origins and pursue their possible return to Indonesia. The Ministry says the process must comply with both national law and international CITES requirements.

If the orangutans are returned to Indonesia, they would undergo health examinations, quarantine, genetic identification, behavioral assessments, and rehabilitation tailored to the needs of each individual. If they later meet the necessary criteria, they could be considered for eventual release back into their natural habitat.

The Ministry said protecting the five orangutans remains a priority as authorities continue working to uncover the trafficking network involved.

__________________________________

Five young orangutans found in Odisha, India, are now at the center of a major investigation into suspected illegal wildlife trafficking.

The orangutans were discovered Tuesday morning near Badapai village in Odisha’s Balasore district. Residents reportedly noticed them in the trees and contacted forest officials, who then brought all five into their care.

Orangutans are native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia and are not found in the wild in India. All three species are Critically Endangered, making the discovery especially concerning.

Authorities are now trying to establish where the animals originated, how they reached Odisha, and whether they were being moved as part of a larger illegal wildlife trafficking network.

The discovery comes as wild orangutans continue to face growing threats across their remaining habitat in Indonesia.

Forest and land fires are currently devastating parts of Indonesia, placing even greater pressure on orangutan habitat already destroyed and fragmented by agricultural development and palm oil expansion.

Indonesia’s meteorological agency, BMKG, has warned of continued fire risk during the current dry period. On September 2, officials recorded 463 high-confidence hotspots in Kalimantan and 264 in Sumatra, both regions where wild orangutans live.

On August 30, an adult male orangutan named Sempurna was found severely weakened and struggling to breathe in a dry ditch inside a community palm oil plantation while the nearby forest was burning. Indonesian wildlife authorities suspected smoke exposure had affected him. Despite rescuers’ best efforts to save him, Sempurna tragically died.

Orangutans are protected under Appendix I of CITES, which provides the convention’s highest level of international trade protection for species threatened with extinction.

There is currently no evidence linking Indonesia’s forest fires to the five orangutans found in India.

As the investigation continues, authorities will be working to identify where the animals came from, how they were transported, and whether other individuals or a wider trafficking network were involved.

World Animal News will continue following this developing story and share updates as additional information is confirmed by wildlife authorities.

www.worldanimalnews.org

Two Animal Rights lawyers filed several lawsuits, legal battles, to stop bullfighting in Tijuana Mexico with success

Tijuana is located in the state of Baja California, on the border with the United States, and has a long history of bullfighting. The city has had its own rules for organizing bullfights since 1991.

Legal battle in Tijuana

This decision was preceded by a years-long struggle. Animal rights lawyers Carmen Villarreal and Frank Ortiz of Abogados Animalistas México (a member of the International Network Against Bullfighting ) filed several lawsuits to stop the bullfights in Tijuana. One of those lawsuits resulted in no bullfights taking place for over a year.

Announcement by Abogados Animalistas Mexico of the end of bullfighting in Tijuana, Mexico

Political support to put an end to bullfighting in this Mexican city also grew. For instance, it was announced as early as July that a planned bullfight in Tijuana would not take place. The organizers attempted to challenge the cancellation in court, but without success. The municipality subsequently announced that it would adapt the existing regulations to comply with stricter animal protection legislation.

That step has now been taken. The municipal regulations for bullfighting are being completely withdrawn.

Important steps in Mexico

Animal protection in Mexico has been increasingly tightened in recent years at both the national and regional levels. For instance, in the state of Baja California, animals are now recognized as sentient beings entitled to protection. The Mexican Constitution also now states that animals must be protected against abuse. However, when it comes to bullfighting, Baja California's legislation needs to be amended. Bullfighting still holds an exemption under the legislation of this state.

Bullfighting had already been banned in the states of Michoacán, Sonora, Guerrero, Coahuila, Quintana Roo, and Sinaloa. In Mexico City, the killing and injuring of bulls during a bullfight is prohibited, meaning that the bloody, traditional bullfights are no longer permitted. Since the ban in March 2025, no bullfights have taken place in the Mexican capital.

The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority ( NVWA) takes action against Irish transporters to the Netherlands leaving calves without milk for more than 30 hours

 

The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is taking enforcement action against violations involving the long-distance transport of young calves from Ireland to the Netherlands. The authority states that unweaned calves may not be left without milk for more than nine hours during transport. However, on current journeys, they are left without milk for more than 30 hours. The NVWA is the first competent authority in Europe to take enforcement action against this practice.

Violations must stop

They are so hungry, begging for milk

Today, four Irish transporters will receive notice of the NVWA’s intention to impose an order subject to periodic penalty payments. The NVWA is requiring them to stop the violations. The transport companies will be given one year to adapt their practices. After that period, the NVWA may impose financial penalties if further violations occur.

The NVWA has substantiated that unweaned calves may not be left without milk for longer than nine hours during transport. Transporters can avoid this violation by transporting calves only once they are at least two months old, or by limiting journeys involving younger calves to a maximum of eight hours.

Break through 

The NVWA’s action follows an enforcement request submitted in 2024 by Eyes on Animals, Ethical Farming Ireland and Dier&Recht. After years of legal proceedings, the animal welfare organizations are relieved by this breakthrough. Eyes on Animals and Ethical Farming Ireland have been monitoring the transport of young Irish calves for more than ten years.

Caroline Rowley, director of Ethical Farming Ireland: “It’s great to see an authority finally taking a stand to ensure legislation is respected. It’s just a shame this action isn’t coming from Ireland. Numerous studies have shown how much these young and vulnerable animals suffer due to extended feed deprivation during these long journeys, so we very much welcome this move by the NVWA. The Dutch authorities care more about the welfare of Irish calves than our own government does.”

Lesley Moffat, ethologist and director of Eyes on Animals: “Legislation only protects animals if someone actually checks what happens along the way. We recorded the journey times and documented that calves barely three weeks old were left without milk for more than 30 hours. That fieldwork forms the basis for the enforcement request that has now finally prompted the NVWA to take action.”

Frederieke Schouten, director of Dier&Recht and veterinarian: “This step strikes at the very foundation of these transports. The calves must be given warm milk individually during the journey, but this is not practically feasible in a fully loaded truck. The calves are still far too young and need help drinking from a teat. We expect the Dutch veal sector, including VanDrie Group, to finally take both the welfare of these animals and the law seriously and to stop importing unweaned Irish calves.”

Baby bear cubs rescued from the illegal pet trade: 7 bottles of milk formula in 24 hours is keeping the volunteers in Laos busy ( videos)

 

https://freethebears.org/blogs/news    

This tiny moon bear cub needs help Dear valued supporter We’ve learned of a tiny moon bear cub in northern Laos who urgently needs our help. The cub has been caught up in the illegal pet trade and is currently being kept all alone in a tiny cage. At this age, a wild moon bear cub should still be with its mother, following her through the forest, learning to climb, forage and play. Instead, this little cub’s world has been reduced to the bars of a cage. Government authorities are now working to confiscate the cub and bring it to safety with our cub care team at Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary. We don't yet know what condition the cub will be in when they arrive, but we are prepared to give them the best care possible. Your donation will provide milk formula, round-the-clock care, veterinary treatment, sanctuary space, and more. This has already been the busiest rescue year in Free the Bears' history, with 49 bears rescued so far - 11 of them cubs.  Government authorities are now working to confiscate the cub and bring it to safety with our cub care team at Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary. We don't yet know what condition the cub will be in when they arrive, but we are prepared to give them the best care possible. Your donation will provide milk formula, round-the-clock care, veterinary treatment, sanctuary space, and more. This has already been the busiest rescue year in Free the Bears' history, with 49 bears rescued so far - 11 of them cubs.  Please help us give this little one the fresh start they deserve. DONATE Look who's waiting for them... While we work to bring this little cub to safety, the 11 other cubs rescued this year across 5 different rescues, have reached an exciting milestone. They are all officially out of quarantine, and running wild together in the cub nursery! . Watch the cubs playing in the nursery