Kristján Loftsson, CEO of Hvalur, has also said that he hopes to use whale meat, blubber and bones to make gelatin, as well as nutritional supplements and other medicinal products — and this news has animal welfare advocates particularly concerned.
“If he does plan on doing that, that will take us back to the battle days of commercial whaling, because previously, meat was not really the main driver of the whaling industry — it was all … the oils, fertilizers and cosmetics that were made out of whale products,” O’Connell said. “That was the kind of thing that kept the whale industry going, and if Mr Loftsson is successful in doing what he claims he is starting to do, it is a very bad sign for the future of whaling.”