Iceland gets away with killing dozens of huge, endangered whales. Here’s why.

Icelandic whalers have spent much of July ripping back the skin of 65-foot long endangered fin whales in preparation to butcher their meat. 

Earlier this month, the commercial whaling company, Hvalur hf, may have also captured and skinned an endangered blue whale — the largest creature ever known to live on Earth — according to photographs from the ocean conservation and vigilante group Sea Shepherd.

Most every nation has prohibited killing whales, creatures whose populations were decimated by ruthless whaling practices in the 1800sInternational treaties also prohibit the antiquated practice, yet a few nations — Iceland, Japan, and Norway — have found legal rationals for hunting whales. Read more…

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