“The news from Iceland that commercial whaling quotas will not be renewed unless the domestic market for whale meat improves, or international trade reopens, may be a step in the right direction, but we are still very concerned that the door has not yet finally closed on Iceland’s whaling activities. Clearly, too few Icelanders are interested in eating whale meat to keep this ailing industry afloat and despite significant attempts to rejuvenate Icelandic whaling there is simply insufficient market for whale meat in Iceland. Instead, there is growing recognition within Iceland that the potential economic and social benefits from whale watching and the associated subsidiary industries, outstrip whaling.
There has also been significant diplomatic strife for Iceland since its announcement to resume, first ‘scientific’ and then commercial, whaling and additional pressure from overseas supermarket chains choosing not to purchase Icelandic fish sourced from companies involved with whaling. In the US, WDCS joined with other conservation groups in calling on President Bush to apply economic sanctions on Iceland under the Pelly Amendment if it did not cease its whaling activities. Undoubtedly, along with domestic market forces, these pressures have also played a role in this announcement.
However, whilst we are cautiously optimistic that this may be the beginning of the end for Icelandic whaling, WDCS believes that the fight is far from over. Iceland is keen to reopen trade in whale meat with Japan. This announcement from the Fisheries Minister may be a move to pressure Japan into reopening international trade in order to keep both the whaling industry alive and diplomatic relations on whaling between the two countries buoyant. Sadly, two minke whales have been killed this week in the ‘scientific’ hunt and four still remain in the 2007 ‘scientific’ quota. Not until every last whale is protected by a finite, binding commitment from the Government of Iceland to cease all whaling, can we rest.
Iceland rejoined the IWC in 2002 with a reservation to the moratorium on commercial whaling, a move condemned by some member governments as against the spirit of the treaty. If the decision by the Fisheries Minister not to issue quotas for commercial whaling for the coming season is really a change in government policy on whaling, the Icelandic Government should demonstrate their commitment to whale conservation by withdrawing their reservation to the moratorium” said Philippa Brakes, Senior Biologist with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Nearly a year after ending its ban on commercial whaling, Iceland will not issue new whale-hunting quotas until market demand increases and it gets an export license from Japan.
Iceland's fisheries minister, Einar K. Guofinnsson, told Reuters this week it made no sense to issue new quotas when the present quota period expires on August 31 if the market for whale meat was not strong enough.
"The whaling industry, like any other industry, has to obey the market. If there is no profitability there is no foundation for resuming with the killing of whales," he said.
Iceland announced last year it would allow up to 30 minke whales and 9 fin whales to be hunted, controversially ending a ban in place since 1986.
But they have killed just seven minke whales and seven fin whales because of slack demand for whale meat and products.
"I will not issue a new quota until the market conditions for whale meat improve and permission to export whale products to Japan is secured," said Guofinnsson.
"There is no reason to continue commercial whaling if there is no demand for the product."
Buyers of whale products demand thorough testing to ensure food safety. In addition, without an export agreement with Japan, a huge source of buyers is taken out of the equation.
Stefan Asmundsson, an officer at the ministry of fisheries, said negotiations for market access to Japan were ongoing.
"We are talking to the Japanese government but so far we have not reached a conclusion on how best to secure the health and quality of the products," he said. "Hopefully this will clear up soon as the uncertainty is not good for anybody."
Whalers had celebrated the decision to allow them to resume a traditional custom despite protests from some two dozen anti-whaling countries, including the United States.
They are now frustrated with the government's stance and say they should be allowed to keep hunting to develop the market.
"In my opinion the minister should not have any say on whether there is a market for our products or not," said Gunnar Bergmann Jonsson, who leads a minke whaling association. "How are we supposed to find markets if we don't have a product?"
Source: Reuters and WDCS
