Reykjavik, Iceland (AFP) – Iceland’s government said Tuesday that it had granted a license to hunt 128 fin whales for the country’s sole whaler amid widespread criticism of the practice.

“The Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdottir, has issued a license to Hvalur for the hunting of fin whales,” the government said in a statement. The license for the 2024 season permits the hunting of 128 whales, down from 161 whales the previous year.

nzg/jll/js

© Agence France-Presse

Featured image credit: Andrea Holien | Pexels

Satellite Image: Stelvio National Park, Italy
Image of the day: Early snow covers Stelvio National ParkNews

Image of the day: Early snow covers Stelvio National Park

Northern Italy’s Stelvio National Park, spanning South Tyrol, Trentino, and Lombardy, witnessed an unusually early snowfall at the end of September 2025. Snow was reported…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskOctober 1, 2025 Full article
Image: surface buoy carrying meteorological sensors and satellite transmitters
US removing scientific tools for ocean studyNews

US removing scientific tools for ocean study

Washington, United States | AFP US President Donald Trump's administration is removing hundreds of deep-sea scientific instruments used for a decade to monitor the effects of…
SourceSourceJune 3, 2026 Full article
Image: Infographic - Percentage of monitoring stations in 2024 achieving air quality EU standards/guideline levels
Air quality improving in Europe but more effort needed: reportNews

Air quality improving in Europe but more effort needed: report

Copenhagen, Denmark | AFP Air quality in Europe is improving but more effort is needed to reach the European Union's 2030 targets, the European Environment Agency…
SourceSourceApril 30, 2026 Full article