OOZE ONLINE- Iceland Resumes Whaling

Iceland Resumes Whaling Despite Ban
by Kimberly Coleman and Patricia Collier

The Iceland Fisheries Ministry recently announced they will resume whaling
activities despite a ban on commercial whaling handed down by the
International Whaling Commission over thirteen years ago.

The commercial ban does not include restrictions for scientific research.
The Iceland Ministry said its plan to kill over 200 Minke whales in a twelve
month period of time is for research purposes.

The announcement by the government was met with opposition by the
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and many North American and
European member countries of the International Whaling Commission (ICW).
Iceland withdrew from the IWC in 1992, but had petitioned for reinstatement
three times since. They were denied twice, but were allowed to rejoin the
IWC in October of 2002 if they agreed not to resume whaling until after
2006.

Several animal rights groups were concerned that Iceland was allowed to
withdraw and rejoin with restrictions on the whaling ban. They said the
action undermined unified global efforts of the IWC and CITES (Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species).

"The United States is extremely disappointed with Iceland's decision to
begin a lethal research whaling program," said the United States
Commissioner to the IWC.

"We have a long-standing policy of opposing lethal research whaling and do
not support Iceland's decision to resume whaling," he said.

Whale watching generates £5M (US $8M) a year for Iceland's economy. The Icelandic Whale Watching Association said forty percent of overseas visitors to
Iceland take part in the activity.

Over 115,000 whales were killed in the twentieth century. Their numbers have
declined significantly over the years due to whaling, entanglement in
commercial fishing nets, environment pollution and climate changes. Many species are now considered endangered. Once the research activities begin, Iceland will join Japan and Norway as the only countries in the world still killing whales.

What You Can Do

Write to the Iceland Minister of Tourism: Mr Sturla Böðvarsson, Ministry of Communications, Hafnarhusinu vid Tryggvagotu, 150 Reykjavik, Iceland

Email Director of Tourism Ms Unnur Gunnarsdottir , indicating that whaling causes unnecessary suffering and whale-watching is a more welfare-friendly way to use their whale resources.

Consumers can also take a stand by not buying Icelandic fish. A significant amount of cod consumed in the UK comes from Iceland. Seventy per cent of all exports from Iceland are fish and fish products, making it the island's most important industry.

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