Fin whales were severely depleted by commercial whaling but are recovering in many regions. Ship strikes and remaining whaling operations continue to cause welfare harms to individuals.
Fin whale welfare has improved dramatically since the commercial whaling moratorium, with populations recovering toward pre-whaling levels in some regions. However, welfare threats persist. Ship strikes cause blunt trauma injuries and death - fin whales killed by vessels die from injuries that may take hours or days to prove fatal. The remaining commercial whaling operations in Iceland and Norway use explosive harpoons that, despite improvements, do not always kill instantly. Noise pollution from shipping disrupts fin whale acoustic communication over vast distances, potentially affecting social behavior and reproduction.