A conservation group is suing an Icelandic whaling company for killing a hybrid whale

The group Jarðarvinir contends that Hvalur hf's license doesn't cover hunting hybrid whales.

The conservation organization Jarðarvinir is suing the Icelandic whaling company Hvalur hf for hunting a fin whale/blue whale hybrid last month.

“A while ago it came to light that one of the Hvalur hf vessels harpooned a hybrid whale. We looked into whether killing a hybrid fin whale is legal according to the hunting license held by Hvalur hf in Icelandic waters and we found out that they only have a licence to kill fin whales and nothing else,” says lawyer Ragnar Aðalsteinsson.

He put the charges forward to the State Attorney on behalf of Jarðarvinir yesterday.

The lawsuit questions the license held by Hvalur hf both for hunting whales and the processing of whales.