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Greenpeace
International oceans campaigner John Frizell said: "Iceland's whaling
programme provides no money, no useful science, and could seriously damage both
the country’s tourist industry and its international reputation. What’s
more, domestic public opinion increasingly supports whale watching rather than
whale killing.”
Like
Japan, Iceland has been carrying out whaling under the guise of scientific
research but the meat and blubber ends up being pushed to the commercial
market. However, the market for whale meat and blubber in Iceland is small and is
decreasing. Only a quarter of last year's catch was sold. Iceland' s
freezers and storage are full with up to 40 tonnes of unsold whale meat and
blubber from the 2003 and 2004 hunts.
The
Icelandic Tourist Association and whale watching operators have made it clear
that whaling damages the reputation of the nation and has a negative impact on
tourism. In recent years, tourism has become a major source of income in
Iceland; whale watching alone attracts around 82,000 tourists annually and is
worth more than $18 million USD a year. (1)
Iceland’s 2003/2004 hunts took 61 minke whales in total instead of the
original quota of 500, which included 200 fin and 100 sei whales. The reduced
catch was the result of a combination of whalers being refused permission to
export their catches, strong domestic criticism and a markedly reduced market
for whale goods in Iceland.
Notes to Editor
(1) In 2003, Greenpeace launched a pledge asking people to consider a holiday in Iceland if whaling was stopped. Over 67,000 people have taken the pledge so far - this represents $78.8million USD in tourism value as opposed to $4million from commercial whaling at its peak. The offer, presented by Greenpeace to the Icelandic government, clearly shows the economic and environmental gain of choosing sustainable tourism over whaling. Read more on http://www.icelandwhalespledge.com
