Hvalavinir Joins International Call for Environmental Defenders and an End to Commercial Whaling
Hvalavinir is among the organizations supporting a public statement issued by Seaspiracy and supported by members of the international ocean conservation community concerning the prosecution of environmental defenders Anahita Sahar Babaei and Elissa Phillips.
The statement addresses the events of September 2023, when Babaei and Phillips boarded the masts of the whaling vessels Hvalur 8 and Hvalur 9 in Reykjavík harbour to protest commercial whaling.
Mynd: Heimildin / Davíð Þór
The signatories express concern about the implications of the proceedings for environmental advocacy, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. They also question the consistency between Iceland's stated commitments to marine protection and the continuation of commercial whaling.
The statement calls on the Icelandic government to introduce a permanent legislative prohibition on commercial whaling within Icelandic territorial waters and to discontinue the proceedings against Babaei and Phillips.
For Hvalavinir, the statement provides an opportunity to place the debate over commercial whaling within a wider discussion of marine conservation, democratic participation and the rights of people who advocate for the protection of nature.
The statement reflects the position of its signatories. The legal questions raised by the case remain distinct from the political and ethical arguments expressed in the document.
[View the original statement and its verified signatories.]
“The global ocean conservation community issues this formal statement to denounce the profound contradiction within the Icelandic government's policy: the public pledge to protect marine ecosystems simultaneous to the judicial criminalization of free expression exercised by those defending them.
This declaration addresses the grave and ongoing criminal charges filed against Ocean Defenders Anahita Babaei and Elissa Phillips.
The recent commitment by the Icelandic government to enhance cooperation on fisheries and ocean affairs, formalized through the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), is acknowledged as a positive signal of intent. However, this symbolic gesture is rendered immediately nullified by state actions that constitute a direct and unacceptable attack upon the core principles of environmental defense.
The prosecution of Anahita Babaei and Elissa Phillips constitutes not an application of justice, but a clear instance of persecution of conscience. This action is strategically deployed to use these two individuals as a chilling example, intended to deter, silence, and ultimately dismantle legitimate environmental activism. The effort to criminalize peaceful dissent and the defense of planetary resources is a policy that must be immediately rescinded and condemned.
The Icelandic state pursues criminal charges, including trespassing and non-compliance with police orders, against the activists for engaging in peaceful civil disobedience by scaling the masts of the whaling vessels Hvalur 8 and Hvalur 9.
Their objective was singular: to impede and protest the commercially unnecessary and brutal slaughter of endangered fin whales.
It is critical to note that their action indirectly supported Icelandic law, as the commercial practice of whaling is fundamentally contrary to the nation's own animal welfare legislation.
They acted as necessary defenders of the ocean. The defense of endangered whales is an imperative, not a criminal act.
This represents a material contradiction that the international community must formally expose:
The Government publicly commits to "ocean protection" by affixing signatures to non-binding international documents.
Concurrently, it mobilizes the full coercive power of the state to persecute the very individuals who actively and physically defended the ocean's most magnificent and crucial species from a cruel, outdated, and economically moribund industry.
Iceland cannot credibly present itself as a champion of marine stewardship while prosecuting those who actively act to safeguard marine species and enforce environmental law. In practice, this is creating a situation in which the State penalises those who seek to uphold legal obligations, while those responsible for ongoing violations remain protected from comparable scrutiny. This policy contradiction is not merely a matter of perception; it reflects a profound lapse in moral and political responsibility. Such prosecutions undermine the credibility of Iceland’s commitments under international agreements, risk signalling tacit tolerance of the whaling industry, and function as a powerful deterrent to future environmental advocacy. The European Court of Human Rights has made clear that selective enforcement in protest-related contexts, particularly where aimed at silencing lawful dissent, is incompatible with the principles of a democratic society.
If the Icelandic government's commitment to the marine environment is genuine, its immediate obligation is to protect those who risked their freedom to execute the essential work the government itself has failed to undertake.
On behalf of Seaspiracy and the global conservation community, which is observing the Republic of Iceland with rigorous attention, we demand the following unequivocal actions:
Permanent Whaling Prohibition: Symbolic commitments must be elevated to legally binding action through the enactment of a permanent and legislated ban on all commercial whaling activities within Icelandic territorial waters.
Immediate Cessation of Proceedings: All pending legal charges against Anahita Babaei and Elissa Phillips must be immediately and unconditionally dropped.
The authentic custodians of the ocean are found on the frontlines, not solely in political meetings. The state must cease the persecution of these Ocean Defenders and commence the prosecution of the damaging practices that continue to endanger our planet.
The world awaits Iceland's definitive demonstration that its declared intentions of protection are not a hollow, politically expedient charade.
Sincerely,
Seaspiracy, Tom Mustill, SEA LEGACY , tide breakers, chilli, Ecconect, Sharkline, Instituto Baleia Jubarte, seas4life, free scuba, sessex dolphin project, wca , protect blue, Seashepherd Brazil, Deep Sea Guardians , Zeitgeist Geist 19, IBRACON, Hvalavinir,SPECIESISM, Gallifrey, One Ocean Planet, Ocean Mission , Gallifrey Foundation
