Pretty interesting stuff. About 100 whales per year are hunted, but 2023 had over double the average since whale hunting resumed in 2006.
There was a 4 year hiatus until COVID hit, then tourism slumped and the hunters resumed. Now that tourism is up, hunters are being shunned again. Its roughly 150 people that would need new work, and could easily transition to whale tourism (lawl).
The Icelandic whalers say its only a small percentage of the estimated 30,000 whales that pass through, so its nbd.
These hunters account for roughly 3% of all whales hunted worldwide, raking in about $15m a year.