One hundred and twenty five endangered fin whales and at least 80 minke whales were killed by Iceland during its 2009 whaling season, marking the return of large scale commercial whaling to the northwest Atlantic, and, in a falling global market, raising questions as to who exactly will buy such excessive quantities of whale meat?
The hunt could produce more than 3 million kilograms of whale meat and blubber. With a limited domestic market, the only option for Iceland’s whalers is to export the whale meat and blubber to Japan, despite a ban on the international trade in whale products. However, the market in Japan is saturated due to declining demand for whale meat amongst the Japanese people. As of June 2009, more than 4500 tons of whale meat was in freezer storage in Japan.
This season’s hunt is the largest since the 1980s and was marked by another a bloody milestone. Kristjan Loftsson, the owner of the Hvalur whaling company, the only company licensed to hunt fin whales in Iceland, ‘celebrated’ the death of the 15,000th fin whale killed since the company was started in 1947.
“The whalers don’t care about the conservation status of whale populations, they don’t care about the image of their country, they don’t care about anything other than their own profit”, says Chris Butler-Stroud from WDCS (Whales and Dolphins Conservation Society).
“Millions of kronur have been spent by the Icelandic government to promote whaling at a time when Iceland’s economy was unraveling,” Butler-Stroud continues. “Iceland’s hunt is a haunting reminder of the excesses of the commercial whaling industry, and the reason why the moratorium on whaling needs to remain in place. The world’s governments must do much more to enforce this ban, and it is now up to the EU to stand up to the test, and prove what species conservation means to it”.
Conservationists are calling on the European Union to take a clear position on Iceland during the EU accession negotiation process.
“It is impossible to even think about an EU Member country being allowed to continue whaling,” says Butler-Stroud. WDCS is very concerned that this message might not have been heard yet by the Icelandic government.”
WDCS and other conservation groups also hope that the new US government does its part to shut down Iceland’s escalating whaling. “We call on President Obama to put immediate diplomatic pressure on the Icelandic government, says WDCS’s Kate O’Connell.
“Iceland’s whaling was certified by the previous Bush administration at a time when only a small number of minke whales were being killed, and we believe that the US must invoke the full range of options available to it, including the consideration of economic sanctions,” urges O’Connell.
The hunt could produce more than 3 million kilograms of whale meat and blubber. With a limited domestic market, the only option for Iceland’s whalers is to export the whale meat and blubber to Japan, despite a ban on the international trade in whale products. However, the market in Japan is saturated due to declining demand for whale meat amongst the Japanese people. As of June 2009, more than 4500 tons of whale meat was in freezer storage in Japan.
This season’s hunt is the largest since the 1980s and was marked by another a bloody milestone. Kristjan Loftsson, the owner of the Hvalur whaling company, the only company licensed to hunt fin whales in Iceland, ‘celebrated’ the death of the 15,000th fin whale killed since the company was started in 1947.
“The whalers don’t care about the conservation status of whale populations, they don’t care about the image of their country, they don’t care about anything other than their own profit”, says Chris Butler-Stroud from WDCS (Whales and Dolphins Conservation Society).
“Millions of kronur have been spent by the Icelandic government to promote whaling at a time when Iceland’s economy was unraveling,” Butler-Stroud continues. “Iceland’s hunt is a haunting reminder of the excesses of the commercial whaling industry, and the reason why the moratorium on whaling needs to remain in place. The world’s governments must do much more to enforce this ban, and it is now up to the EU to stand up to the test, and prove what species conservation means to it”.
Conservationists are calling on the European Union to take a clear position on Iceland during the EU accession negotiation process.
“It is impossible to even think about an EU Member country being allowed to continue whaling,” says Butler-Stroud. WDCS is very concerned that this message might not have been heard yet by the Icelandic government.”
WDCS and other conservation groups also hope that the new US government does its part to shut down Iceland’s escalating whaling. “We call on President Obama to put immediate diplomatic pressure on the Icelandic government, says WDCS’s Kate O’Connell.
“Iceland’s whaling was certified by the previous Bush administration at a time when only a small number of minke whales were being killed, and we believe that the US must invoke the full range of options available to it, including the consideration of economic sanctions,” urges O’Connell.
