An endangered fin whale is brought to the harbor of Hvalfjörour, Iceland. The fin whale is the first kill by Iceland and marks the resumption to commercial whaling for the country.
Over 90% of the meat to be produced by the increased quota would
come from endangered fin whales, which are not eaten by Icelanders,
only exported. But the export market to Japan is weak; a 60-tonne
trial shipment of fin whale meat, which languished in customs for
four months before being given import permission, remains only
partly sold, and Japan already has thousands of tonnes of unsold
whale meat in frozen storage.
Iceland's government should look to tourism, and in particular
whale watching, as a means to rebuilding the economy.
Even a small increase in tourists going to Iceland to watch
whales will create and secure more jobs and more money than whaling
ever will. In 2008, about 115,000 people went whale watching in
Iceland. Over 20% of them stated that whale watching was as an
important reason for visiting Iceland, and they spent millions of
US dollars in revenue in the process. A further 115,000 people have
signed a pledge that they will consider visiting Iceland if the
country ceases whaling - which could generate US$ 117million in
tourism revenue, compared with only US$ 4million generated at the
peak of Iceland's whaling activities.
"The outgoing Icelandic government's whaling quota increase is a
shameless stunt that has nothing to do with use of natural
resources, and everything to do with politics," said Greenpeace
International Whales Campaign coordinator Sara Holden. "Greenpeace
joins the Icelandic tourism industry in urging that the new interim
government reverses the quota increase and instead focuses on real
solutions that promote the beauty of Iceland's environment - such
as tourism and whale watching."
Greenpeace is an independent, global campaigning organisation
that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and
conserve the environment, and to promote peace.
Other contacts: Martin Norman, Greenpeace Nordic Media, in Oslo, +47 95804950Sara Holden, Greenpeace International Whales Campaign coordinator, in Amsterdam, +31 615007406 Dave Walsh, Greenpeace International Communications, in Dublin, +353872207023
Notes: On 27 January 2009 the Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture announced that it would resume whaling, with quotas of 100 minke whales and 150 fin whales annually for the next five years, based on advice from Iceland's Marine Research Institute.Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture statement:http://eng.sjavarutvegsraduneyti.is/news-and-articles/nr/9554BBC: Iceland sets major whaling quota http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7854705.stm