Iceland to defy commercial whaling ban

Iceland is to resume commercial whaling after a two-decade moratorium, defying a worldwide ban on hunting whales for their meat.

Fisheries minister Einar Kristinn Gudfinnsson told Iceland’s parliament in Reykjavik that his ministry would begin issuing licences to whaling ships to hunt fin and minke whales. He said the ministry would permit the hunting of nine fin whales and 30 minke whales in the year ending August 31, 2007.