The Icelandic government plans to end controversial whaling by 2024.

This was announced by Fisheries Minister Svandis Svavarsdottir on Friday.

The catch quotas that apply until 2023 should not be extended.

The politician from the left-green movement referred to falling demand.

"Unless there are developments to the contrary, there will be little reason to allow whaling after 2024," wrote Svavarsdottir in an article for the Morgunbladid newspaper.

"There is little evidence that there is any economic benefit to practicing this activity." Therefore, quotas should not be extended.

Japan as the main buyer country

Iceland is one of three whaling countries, the other two being Norway and Japan.

Animal rights activists have repeatedly criticized the hunt for marine mammals.

Iceland currently has a quota that runs until 2023, according to which 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales can be shot per summer.

However, there has been virtually no commercial hunting in Iceland in the past three years, with just one whale taken.

The reason is massive sales difficulties on the Japanese market, the main buyer of whale meat.

This allowed hunting whales again in 2019.