In 1982, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) agreed to stop all commercial whaling by 1986. Unlike other whaling nations, Iceland did not take out an ‘objection’, but once the ban was in place, continued a small “scientific whaling” program, hunting a few dozen whales each year until 1989. It left the IWC, abruptly, in 1992.​

"Whaling is neither humane nor economically lucrative — yet Japan's Prime Minister Shinzō Abe is resurrecting the practice as a symbol of nationalism." https://www.newstatesman.com/world/asia/2019/07/why-japan-reviving-cruel-practice-whale-hunting-after-31-years

​In Iceland, whalers hunt endangered fin whales a​nd ​minke whales, yet whale meat is not even a traditional food in there.​​​ Most of it is exported to Japan, with a small amount served to tourists.​ Fortunately global demand for whale meat has plummeted, to the point that whalers are using it for dog treats, iron supplements and even a so-called flavoring for beer​.​

Just for clarification, "commercial whaling was banned by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986, making an exemption for indigenous whaling for subsistence." https://nordicwanders.com/blog/2018/10/whaling-in-the-nordic-countries

 

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