Renewing a license to operate a blood mares farm in Iceland would be a violation of a European directive

The government is facing a decision regarding blood mares, footage shows cruelty and violence towards mares during blood collection as before. Animal rights activists are holding a symbolic demonstration in front of the Althingi.

Reykjavik, October 20, 2025

Despite the clear opinion of the European Supervisory Authority (ESA), thousands of full-grown mares are still being used for blood collection in Iceland. The Icelandic authorities must decide whether to renew the operating license of the company Ísteka. On this occasion, animal rights groups plan to hand over signatures in front of the Althingi to draw attention to the cruelty inherent in the blood mares industry.

Ísteki's license to collect blood from pregnant mares to produce the hormone PMSG expired in October. Now is the chance for the government to spare thousands of animals from further suffering. Five international NGOs, together with the Icelandic Animal Welfare Association (DÍS) and the Icelandic Animal Welfare Association (SDÍ), will deliver around 300,000 signatures to Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, Minister of Industry and Trade, strongly urging the government to ban blood mares.

Animal rights activists are holding a symbolic event in front of the Althingi , where they will demonstrate how much blood is taken from mares in the blood mares farm each year.

“This is Iceland’s chance to choose animal welfare over profit,” says Sabrina Gurtner , project manager at the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) and Tierschutzbund Zürich (TSB) . “Since we exposed the cruelty behind blood mares, mares have continued to suffer – frightened, separated from their foals, locked in cramped stalls while their blood is drained. There is no question that renewing Ísteki’s license would be both cruel and inhumane. Moreover, it would be a violation of European law. ”

Renewal of the license violates a European directive

Two and a half years ago, the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) sent a formal warning to the Icelandic authorities that Iceland was in breach of EU Directive No. 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. Iceland has accepted this Directive under the EEA Agreement and is therefore obliged to comply with it.

Therefore, Regulation No. 460/2017 now applies to blood collection from mares, and blood collection from mares is defined as the use of animals for scientific purposes. This means that such use requires a permit , which cannot be approved if there are other methods that do not use live animals – and such methods have long been used successfully in countries such as Switzerland and even Iceland.

Despite this, Ísteka received permission from the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) to continue its operations until October 2025. If the license is renewed now, Iceland will therefore be violating both its own rules and European law.

“Renewal of the permit is illegal and would be contrary to Iceland’s obligations under the EEA Agreement,” says Linda Karen Gunnarsdóttir , chairwoman of the Icelandic Animal Welfare Association (DÍS). “Iceland has already acknowledged that blood mares are protected by the EU directive – a new permit would therefore clearly violate that obligation.”

International criticism and Iceland's image at stake

Bloodletting is also causing serious damage to Iceland's image internationally. Tourists and animal lovers around the world are expressing surprise and anger that bloodletting is still allowed. With tourism being a major pillar of the Icelandic economy, the organization warns that the government's decision regarding bloodletting will send a message about the country's values.

“People come to Iceland to experience untouched nature,” says Deborah Lewis , campaign manager at Ekō . “But people are shocked to discover that behind the glamorous image, blood is being pumped from full-grown mares for profit, damaging the country’s reputation. This is a defining moment for Iceland – the government can either give in to the industry or choose compassion and animal welfare. We urge the minister today to make the right decision and ban blood mares.”

Information provided

What is PMSG?

PMSG (Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin) is a hormone extracted from the blood of pregnant mares. In factory farming, it is used to control the reproductive cycle of sows and increase the production of piglets in a shorter period of time. Iceland plays a key role in the production of the hormone and is the only country in Europe where blood mares are kept.

About 4,000 mares are used on about 90 farms that practice blood mares. They are kept each year so that about 5 liters of blood can be taken per week for two months . The blood is processed by the Icelandic pharmaceutical company Ísteka , which had a profit of 11.5 million euros from mare blood in 2024.

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