Whaling allowed again in Iceland - The new regulation in detail

Whaling off Iceland was stopped for several months in June 2023 by the Icelandic government to review conditions. New conditions were published by the government on August 31, 2023. The new regulation in detail.

REGULATION
about longline fishing.

article 1

Goals, scope and basic principles.

The aim of the regulation is to improve the framework conditions for longline fishing. In order to achieve this objective, it is necessary to ensure that fishing equipment and practices comply with the minimum standards set out in the law and this regulation.

This regulation applies to longline fishing. This Regulation applies in addition to applicable laws and regulations, including the Whaling Regulations, as amended from time to time.

Hunting should always be about killing the animal immediately.

Fishing should be done in such a way that it causes the least pain and kills the animals in the shortest possible time. It is also prohibited to use methods that cause unnecessary mutilation or suffering to an animal.

Article 2

Glossary.

In this Regulation, the following terms have the following meanings:

Whaling Cannon: A ship-mounted projectile weapon directed toward a ship to fire an explosive projectile.

Target Area: The area in the distance to target when shooting.

Shot Distance: The distance of an animal from a whaling gun when it is fired.

Shotline: A line attached to a shuttle and a ship.

Shooting Line Basket: A device under the line that ensures that the line is pulled out correctly when the shot is fired.

Angle of Fire: The direction in which a shooter points a whaling rifle at an animal, such as from the front, back, or side.

Shuttle Tail: A line attached to a shuttle without connection to a ship.

Shuttle Bomb: A Whale Grenade 99 bomb that bolts to the front of a shuttle.

Instant Death: When an animal is considered dead in less than a minute.

Death Criteria: An animal is considered dead if the whale is motionless, the jaw is slack, and the baleen is loose on the whale's side. However, the final assessment of the time of death may take into account whether a whale is considered dead despite convulsive symptoms.

Article 3

At sight.

The Swedish Food Authority must regularly monitor compliance with the Animal Welfare Act and this Regulation when hunting longfin, including patrols during fishing, video recording of fishing methods and recording of actions during hunting that affect animal welfare. The data that inspectors collect during their work must be submitted to the Swedish Food Authority at the end of each inspection.

The Norwegian Fisheries Authority also monitors the conduct of the hunt in accordance with the whaling laws and the regulations issued on the basis of them.

Inspectors from the Norwegian Fisheries Authority monitor that the fishing equipment complies with the laws and regulations adopted on their basis and with the rules set out in the Annex to the International Convention for the Management of Whaling of 1946. The Norwegian Fisheries Authority also monitors that the conditions specified in the license are met.

The Norwegian Fisheries Authority must be notified before fishing.

The Norwegian Fisheries Authority and the Norwegian Food Authority must consult each other about their respective inspections based on this Regulation.

The Swedish Food Authority is authorized to instruct the Norwegian Fisheries Authority to collect data for the purpose of monitoring in accordance with paragraph 1. and this aspect of data collection is then considered as part of the Food Authority's oversight. Do the requirements imposed on the Norwegian Fisheries Authority and its inspectors already meet the requirements for such an inspection, see paragraph 2, Article 5 of Law No. 30/2018, on the Food Authority.

If there is any doubt or dispute as to who is subject to the inspection under this Regulation, the Minister shall decide.

Article 4

fishing equipment.

When fishing, equipment must be used that ensures that the long ray is killed immediately or in the shortest possible time and causes it as little suffering as possible. To ensure this, the Norwegian Fisheries Authority must ensure that a vessel intended for longline fishing is equipped with the following fishing equipment:

1. Whaling gun.
2. At least two ship-mounted firing lines. A shooting line must be constructed in such a way that it can withstand the stresses of fishing and is insensitive to external influences such as water and moisture.
3. A gun line basket that follows the movements of a whaling gun. The shooting line basket must be made so that the line is pulled from the basket towards the shuttlecock.
4. Aim at a whaling gun with the dot illuminated.

It is not allowed to use a shuttle without a shuttle bomb. Only Walgranate-99 shuttle bombs should be used. The amount of explosives in a shuttle bomb must be enough to ensure an animal is killed instantly.

It is not permitted to fire a shot without a shuttle bomb attached to the shuttle and a tether attached to the shuttle at one end and to the ship at the other end.

Despite paragraph 3, a shot may be fired without a line attached to the shuttle at one end and to the ship at the other end. Then a shuttle tail should be used, which is a line attached to the shuttle at one end but not attached to the ship, to increase the flight stability of the shuttle.

A projectile bomb must be connected to a projectile via an ignition device that ensures that when the projectile enters an animal, the projectile explodes at a point of injuring the animal sufficiently to kill it instantly.

Any change in fishing gear must be reported to the Norwegian Fisheries Authority. The Norwegian Fisheries Authority may authorize a change in equipment if, after obtaining the opinion of the Norwegian Food Authority, which assesses animal welfare considerations, it considers that the new equipment or changes thereto meet the same requirements for use.

Before going hunting, the licensee must check that the shooters and crew otherwise comply with the requirements of the laws and regulations applicable to the use of firearms and, if necessary, make and retain copies of the relevant licenses and documents.

Article 5

Fishing conditions.

Longline fishing must be done during daylight hours. Then the external conditions must be such that immediate killing is possible, taking into account, among other things, wave height, weather conditions and visibility.

However, regardless of the above circumstances, it is imperative to follow the animal and complete the kill if another shooting occurs, since the hunter is obliged to do his utmost to kill the animals he has injured.

Article 6

Screening and longitudinal assessment.

If an animal is seen, ensure that there is no calf in the vicinity, in accordance with the license holder's documented procedure, see Article 9(a). Such a procedure must, among other things, indicate the size and length of an area is shielded. The criteria must ensure that whales are not caught accompanied by calves.

The length of an animal must be estimated before shooting in accordance with the license holder's documented procedure, see Article 9(b), and the procedure must be suitable to ensure that whales below the minimum size are not caught.

Article 7

Execution of a shot.

When hunting, a whaling gun must be aimed at a defined target area, see illustration in Appendix I.

Shoot animals from a safe distance. However, animals may not be shot from a distance of more than 25 meters.

The shooting angle must be between 45-135° relative to the longitudinal axis of the animal, see figure in Appendix II.

Despite paragraphs 2 and 3, it is permissible to deviate from the range and angle of fire if a wounded animal needs to be shot more than once in order to ensure the fastest possible kill.

If an animal is not killed immediately, it must be killed again immediately.

Article 8

Training, education and qualifications.

When fishing, it is important to ensure that at least three of the crew members have experience in whaling. Experience means that a person has been part of a whaling crew for at least six months in the last five years. However, it is permissible to deviate from this condition if there is a special case and the crew member has demonstrated competence and knowledge in accordance with the opinion of the Norwegian Fisheries Authority, that is, on m.

Shooters who hunt and kill animals must have completed a course in the use of whaling weapons and high-explosive shells, as well as methods of killing whales. Shooters must also have completed a course approved by regulatory authorities, which must include at least training in biology, including behavior, pain perception and stress, as well as ecology as it relates to cetaceans and the regulations applicable to whaling.

Article 9

Quality manual and fishing management report.

The licensee is responsible for maintaining a quality manual, which must be accessible to regulatory authorities and the Ministry. The quality manual must contain at least the following:

1. Procedure for screening whale calves.
2. Method for estimating the length of an animal.
3. Procedure for conducting and preparing reshoots.
4. Procedure for registering reportable incidents.
5. Procedure for examining the causes by the license holder.
6. Procedures for responding to reportable incidents, see Article 10, that may occur while fishing.

Procedures must be used to ensure that deer are killed in a manner that causes the least amount of pain to the animals and takes the shortest amount of time possible, and are not captured in a manner that causes them unnecessary mutilation or suffering. Superiors may request improvements to the procedure if it is not suitable to ensure the above-mentioned conditions, see also the conditions of Article 6 of this regulation.

The licensee must submit a fishing report to the supervisory authority in accordance with Article 3. at the end of the hunting season. There the main challenges of the season, the general maintenance of the fishing equipment, a summary of the incidents and their possible causes in the opinion of the licensee and reported if necessary.

Article 10

Incident reporting and logging.

The concessionaire must inform the supervisory authorities in accordance with Article 3. Report any incidents that occur while fishing for Lingrey as soon as possible, but no later than two working days after the end of a fishing trip. Fishing incidents that require reporting within the meaning of this regulation are:

1. If a re-recording needs to be done.
2. If a whale is not killed immediately, it will not be shot again.
3. If a new recording is delayed.
4. If an animal that has been shot escapes or is lost.
5. If an explosive device does not explode or explodes prematurely.
6. If the shuttlecock does not hit the defined target area.
7. When an explosive projectile is fired outside the defined firing angle.
8. If it is suspected that a calf has followed an animal, e.g. B. if it turns out that a cow has been milking.
9. If the size of an animal is found to be less than 50 feet (15.2 m).
10. Other incidents such as accidents, errors or negligence.

The report to the supervisory authority must describe the incident, identify its possible causes and any other relevant facts.

Article 11

Registration of information.

In addition to other information required to be recorded pursuant to other laws and regulations and the license letter, the license holder must ensure that the following information is recorded on each fishing trip:

1. Number of shuttles provided for each animal.
2. Precise timing for every shot fired.
3. Crew and shooters.
4. Where a shooter hits an animal with every shot.
5. Weather conditions (wave height, wind, lighting conditions, visibility) in each recording.
6. The angle from which a shooter fired.
7. The firing distance of each shot.
8. Approximate length of each animal.
9. How screening for whale calves was done each time.
10. Whether there were other animals nearby and how many.

Article 12

Fee collection.

Matvælastofnun is entitled to charge a fee for monitoring under the Regulation in accordance with the fee schedule, i.e. on m. based on data collection by the Norwegian Fisheries Authority on behalf of the Swedish Food Authority in accordance with paragraph 2. Article 3 The regulation of this objective will then be considered as part of the supervision the Swedish Food Authority.

The Norwegian Fisheries Authority is entitled to charge a fee in accordance with the organization's tariff schedule for inspections based on the regulation.

Article 13

Annex to the International Whaling Convention.

The rules set out in the Annex to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling of 1946 (e.g. Annex to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling), as amended thereafter, shall be followed unless otherwise prescribed by law or this Regulation in accordance with the international obligations to which Iceland has agreed.

Article 14

Punish.

With regard to violations of this regulation, Chapter

Article 15

Validity and legal basis.

This regulation is based on Article 3, Article 4 paragraph 1. Article 6, cf. and paragraph 3 Article 1 Law No. 26/1949 on whaling and paragraph 2. Article 13, paragraph 3 Article 27 and Article 46 Law No. 55/ 2013, on animal protection, as well as paragraph 2. Article 5 Law No. 30/2018, on the Food Authority.

The regulation comes into force immediately. Clause 2. Paragraph 2 Article 8 and Article 9, however, it comes into force on September 18, 2023. With the entry into force of this Regulation, Regulation No. 917/2022 on the supervision of animal welfare during whaling applies.

The Ministry of Food, August 31, 2023.