A cross posting from my Fieldnotes from Iceland blog.
From a recent issue of the Reykjavik Grapevine that I picked up while at the Hotel Örk in Hveragerði a few days ago.
A campaign to ban puffin hunting. It links to a petition.
Details:
Iceland is one of the last places on Earth where puffin hunting is still legal – while the species teeters on the brink of extinction.Known for their colourful beaks and charismatic personalities, puffins are more than just a symbol of Iceland’s natural beauty – they are a keystone species for the North Atlantic’s fragile ecosystem. But puffins are in deep crisis.
Since 2000, their population has dropped by 25% – and without urgent action, their population could plummet by 90% by 2050, leaving future generations without this iconic and culturally significant bird.
Yet despite this alarming decline, Iceland still allows thousands of puffins to be killed every year for sport and consumption – a practice that no longer has a place in today’s world. Neighbouring countries like Norway have banned puffin hunting, recognising the urgent need to protect these birds before it’s too late. Iceland must follow suit.
We cannot let short-termism destroy a species that has existed for thousands of years.
Every puffin hunted pushes this species closer to extinction. Puffins are running out of time – let’s be their voice before it’s too late.
Right now, with the Icelandic government under increasing pressure from conservationists to review and change its hunting policies as profit-driven tourism accelerates – and we can make the difference.
