It has been confirmed that no fin whales will be caught in Icelandic waters this year despite a quota for 150 whales having been issued. It was decided in the spring to postpone fin whaling due to the natural catastrophe in Japan, the main market for fin whale meat, and now it has completely been called off.

Gunnlaugur Fjlar Gunnlaugsson, director of Hvalur's fin whale processing plant in Hvalfjrdur, west Iceland, said that the reconstruction after the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan is slow, whale product companies were damaged but they are hoping that the situation will have improved next spring. However, he commented that they will now start preparing for the next season as whaling will continue.

Approximately 150 people in west Iceland have been employed by fin whaling in the past summers, 148 fin whales were caught during last year's season. This whaling season, almost 50 minkes have been caught so far.