Environmental activists face trial after boarding icelandic whaling ships in reykjavík harbor

Two environmental activists are headed to court this week after taking direct action to prevent commercial whaling ships from leaving Iceland’s capital harbor. On September 4, 2023, at 4 a.m., Elissa Phillips and Anahita Sahar Babaei climbed aboard two aging whaling vessels moored in Reykjavík harbor in an attempt to stop the ships from going to sea.

The activists’ dramatic intervention came just as Iceland had lifted a temporary ban on whale hunting, leading the women to believe that crews would soon resume their commercial whale hunts. Their peaceful protest represents the latest challenge to Iceland’s controversial whaling industry, which continues despite growing international pressure to end the practice.

Iceland remains one of only three countries worldwide that still permits commercial whaling, alongside Norway and Japan. The Nordic island nation has faced increasing criticism from environmental groups and the international community over its decision to continue hunting whales, particularly as whale populations face mounting pressures from climate change, ocean pollution, and ship strikes.

As Phillips and Babaei prepare for their day in court, they are using their platform to call on Icelandic officials to implement a permanent ban on commercial whaling. Their case highlights the ongoing tension between traditional industries and modern conservation efforts, as activists worldwide continue to push for stronger protections for marine mammals in increasingly threatened ocean ecosystems.