Not only is there no scientific justification for this whale
hunting, Greenpeace expects that the meat from these proposed hunts
will be sold on the commercial market in Iceland, underlining the
commercial nature of the program.
Although Iceland’s whaling commissioner called the proposed
hunt, “scientific catch”, the Scientific Committee of the
International Whaling Commission reviewed the program at Iceland’s
request and did not agree to it. In addition, Iceland’s proposed
take of 38 whales is the thin edge of the wedge. The country, which
has not hunted whales since 1989, has already said that it intends
to catch another 250 whales in 2004, which will pave the way for
increased catches in the future aimed at the export market.
Greenpeace calls on the Government
of Iceland to immediately reverse this decision. If Iceland really
wants to do a scientific study of whales there are many ways this
can be done without killing them. For example, DNA work, which is
one of the things that Iceland has said it wants to do with its
whale hunting, can de done by non-lethal biopsy.
