A new Gallup poll shows Icelanders are eating less whale meat than they have in a decade, and less than half support the hunting of fin whales.
According to the poll, conducted by Gallup for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, whale meat is an even less popular dish amongst Icelanders than it has been in ten years. 81.7% of Icelanders said they have not bought any whale meat in the past 12 months. Only 3% said they had bought whale meat six times or more over the course of the year.
Icelandic consumption of whale meat has not measured this low since 2005, when 86% said they had not bought whale meat in the past year.
The poll also asked respondents how they felt about the hunting of fin whales and minke whales. 42.6% said they support hunting fin whales, compared to 56.9% in 2013. In both cases, women and young people demonstrated the least support for hunting fin whales. 23.3% of all respondents said they were against hunting fin whales, while 34.1% had no opinion.
When it came to hunting minke whales, support was greater but has also decreased over the past two years. 50.1% of respondents said they support the hunt, compared to 65.7% in 2013. 18.3% were opposed to hunting minke whales, and 31.6% had no opinion.
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