The International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned commercial whaling under a moratorium imposed in 1985.                                                                                                                                                This ban on commercial whaling was violated by Icelandic whalers only a few days after the announcement on the 17th of October, when the whaling vessel “Hvalur 9” caught the first of 7 Fin whales so far. Fin whales are listed as an endangered species by the World Conservation Union.

Diplomats from 25 nations including the UK, the US, Germany, Finnland, Sweden, France and Australia delievered a formal letter of protest to the Icelandic government over its resumption of commercial whaling.