Iceland resumes commercial whaling

Iceland's whaling season has begun in defiance of protests from animal rights groups that have called for an end to the practice and after international calls for Iceland to reduce whaling quotas.

Whalers on board the Johanna AR vessel have stated that they hope to catch the first Minke today. The first whales are usually killed in a bay just outside of Reykjavik as whaling is banned close to the harbour. Ironically, the restrictions are to protect the whale watching businesses, which are popular with tourists.

Managers of the minke whaler association said 50 to 60 per cent of the meat would be sold domestically, while the rest is sold to Japan.

However, the Japanese public is not really buying. While the Japanese Fisheries Agency claims that up to 5000 tonnes of whale meat are consumed every year in this country, estimates suggest that at least 3000 tonnes are now sitting unwanted in cold storage in Japan.

Despite falling market prices, and regular government efforts to "educate" the population by way of academic lectures, food festivals, and compulsory school lunches, whale meat remains a dish that few modern Japanese have eaten more than twice. Not because it is scarce, they just don't like it.

Iceland and Norway are the only two countries in the world that authorise commercial whaling. Japan officially hunts whales for scientific purposes, which are contested by opponents, and the whale meat is sold for consumption.

On January 27th, immediately before Iceland's coalition government was dissolved, Einar K. Guðfinnsson, the outgoing Minister of Fisheries and a leading member of the conservative Independence Party, issued a regulation permitting the massive whaling of minke and fin whales.

In March, the Minister of Fisheries, Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, leader of the Left-Green Party, announced that he would not repeal his deposed predecessor's last-minute order to resume commercial whaling of 150 endangered fin whales and 100 threatened Minke Whales from May to late September until 2013. Sigfússon stated that Guðfinnsson’s decision could not be repealed for "legal" reasons.

Prior to Sigfússon's announcement, Iceland, which pulled out of an international whaling moratorium in 2006 after 16 years, had a quota of just nine fin whales and 40 minke whales per year.

National elections were held in Iceland in April and a new coalition government, of the Social Democrat Alliance and the Left-Green Movement formed the Icelandic parliament, Althingi.

The two party leaders, Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir and Finance Minister Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, set out goals to rebalance the state budget by 2013 while at the same time implementing an ambitious plan of job creation.

At the same time, they emphasised their joint intent for the Althingi to decide whether Iceland will commence accession negotiations with the EU and for an overall revision of the Act on Fisheries Management to be carried out, in accordance with the coalition parties’ platforms.

It is abundantly clear that the resumption of commercial whaling is a ‘quick-fix’ for the economy and a short-term employment solution. However, with a surfeit of whale meat in storage in Japan and falling prices, this solution is doomed to failure and will only provoke calls for an International boycott of Icelandic goods and services.

Would it not be better and more sustainable to promote a tourism based and whale watching industry? Consider also that falling fish stocks and tighter quotas will place even larger economic and employment pressure on the country. Surely, more justification exists for an economy based on wildlife observation than wildlife destruction?

Iceland is kidding itself that a boycott would be ineffectual. Bauger, a company owned by Icelandic Banks owns 100% of the following retail UK chains: Karen Millen, French Connection, Iceland Frozen Seafoods, Hamleys and The House of Fraser. A boycott in the UK alone would have disastrous implications for the Icelandic economy.

Europe should be asking whether it wants another whaling nation and another IWC puppet in the union and not Iceland asking itself whether it wants to join.