Killing whales to save the Icelandic economy? It sounds like a terrible idea - we certainly think it is.

Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993 as an attempt by the political party in power at the time to gain popularity in northern Norway.

Antarctic krill are small shrimp-like crustaceans that are the principle food source for many Antarctic predators including seals, penguins, albatross, various fish species and the seven species of baleen whales that feed in the Southern Ocean.

Aside from krill, the other major fishery in the Southern Ocean is for toothfish.

The devastation of whale populations by commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean is well documented, with 95 percent of the biomass of whales lost and the blue whale brought to the edge of extinction.

The historic 1991 agreement to prohibit all mineral extraction in Antarctica for 50 years set an example for a new relationship with planet Earth.