Harpooned whale was not rare blue

A whale killed by Icelandic fishermen was not one of a rare and protected species, a scientific institute said.

The whale, which was harpooned and landed on July 7, was a hybrid between a blue whale and a fin whale, according to the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute in Reykjavik.

Sea Shepherd, the conservation group claimed the animal was a blue, protected by the International Whaling Commission since 1966.