Icelandic company says 'no' to whaling

In a statement on their website, Baugur, an Icelandic international investment company with interests in some of the UK’s best known retailers, has declared its opposition to Icelandic whaling operations.

CEO of the Baugur Group, Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson said in the statement that Icelandic whaling operations, which include both commercial and ‘scientific’ hunts, are ‘...damaging Icelandic companies operating abroad’ and that ‘Whaling is damaging Icelandic companies and probably their continuing growth in the future’.

The Baugur Group owns the largest retail entity in Iceland, Hagar hf. which owns and operates 100 stores in Iceland and Sweden, including the Hagkaup and Bonus supermarket chains in Iceland.

WDCS believe that Baugur Group’s opposition to whaling will make it difficult for Icelandic whaling companies hoping to market whale meat and products domestically.

Among Baugur’s principle assets in the UK are supermarket chain Iceland, Booker wholesaler, Hamleys toy retailer, Goldsmiths jewellery chain, the fashion chains MK One and Jane Norman, the health products chain Julian Graves, and the chain of department stores, House of Fraser.

Despite worldwide opposition, Iceland killed seven endangered fin whales and one minke whale at the end of last year, before the hunt was postponed due to inclement weather. The Fisheries Ministry says Iceland intends to take a total of 30 minke whales and nine fin whales for commercial purposes, in addition to another 39 for “science” research, by September 2007.

The full statement from Baugur’s website is as follows:

Whaling is damaging Icelandic companies operating abroad
Says Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson, CEO of Baugur Group

It is not long since the fisheries were our only source of exports. The Icelandic economy depended entirely on fishing and it was not strange that our position regarding whaling was simple: it was essential.
But times change, as do our needs. Icelandic companies have established operations in other countries in recent years, and the trend continues to grow in the fields of fashion, pharmaceuticals, food, banking and music, to name but a few. This development is just beginning and it is only a matter of time until these operations begin to generage as much income as the fisheries do at present. These changes have made it necessary for us to look further afield than simply at issues involving the fishing industry.
There is much opposition to whaling around the world today, whether we like it or not. The tourist industry here in Iceland is very fearful of the effects that whaling might have, and according to The Icelandic Travel Industry Association, many bookings made by foreign groups have been cancelled since the government’s decision to begin whaling again.
It is not just the tourist industry that is affected. A large number of foreign companies owned by Icelanders have had problems relating to this issue, and many groups have threatened to cease trading with these companies unless whaling is stopped immediately. Whaling is damaging Icelandic companies and probably their continuing growth in the future.
The fishing industry is and always will be important for Iceland. However, other sectors have been establishing themselves in the international business community with good results. We can all agree that it is best that the nation’s export earnings come from more than one sector, and until recently the risk has been significant. Unsurprisingly, some will suffer as the situation changes. Baugur Group has therefore decided to declare its opposition to Icelandic whaling operations.

Source: WDCS / Baugur