Following Iceland’s announcement on August 6, 2003 that it is
resuming whaling, Greenpeace’s flagship, the Rainbow Warrior
is en route to Iceland to campaign against the hunting of minke
whales, which the government is attempting to justify on so called
scientific grounds. The Rainbow Warrior has been diverted
from the Mediterranean and is scheduled to arrive in just over two
weeks.
The first voyage of the Rainbow Warrior in 1978 was to
Iceland to confront commercial whalers. Greenpeace is now returning
to support local groups who also fear the Government’s announcement
is a first step towards a resumption of full-scale whaling.
“No science justifies the killing of whales. This is simply an
underhanded attempt by the Icelandic government to resume
commercial whaling,” said Gerd Leipold, Executive Director of
Greenpeace International. “Whaling is part of Iceland’s past, and
must remain so.”
Gerd Leipold campaigned in Iceland 25 years ago to stop the
practice, and will be returning with the Rainbow Warrior to
meet local people and discuss with them the way forward. Many local
groups in Iceland have already expressed serious concerns about the
Iceland government’s plans. One whale watching station flew the
national flag at half-mast the day the resumption was announced.
The whale watching industry in Iceland generates significant
income, which would be seriously threatened by commercial
hunting.
It is estimated that about a dozen whale watching companies have
been started in Iceland in the last 10 years, generating $8.5
million in 2001. Commercial whaling generated $3 to 4 million
between 1986-1989 when commercial hunts were stopped. (Associated
Press, April 6, 2003).
Many countries recognize that commercial whaling is
unsustainable and conservation of whales, dolphins and porpoises is
essential to the health of the oceans. Today whales continue to
face a complex array of threats posed by continued commercial
whaling, toxic chemicals, global warming, ozone depletion, noise
pollution, over-fishing and ship strikes.
“A clear message must go to the
Icelandic government — globally, as well as directly from the
people of Iceland — that this will not be tolerated.” continued
Liephold. “Iceland can make more money from whale watching than
whale killing and should be doing all it can to protect those
whales in its seas.”
