Anger over decision to resume commercial whaling

Iceland came under criticism today from conservationists following a decision to resume commercial whaling.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) warned the move to allow the hunting of up to 40 minke whale could damage Iceland’s reputation and its whale watching industry.

According to the animal welfare organisation, some 100,000 tourists went whale watching in Iceland last year.

In contrast, when the country allowed the killing of seven endangered fin whales for commercial use in 2006 it caused a public outcry and the meat ended up in frozen storage because there was no market for it, Ifaw said.

Robbie Marsland, director of Ifaw UK, said: “We strongly urge the Icelandic government to rethink this decision.

“The resumption of commercial whaling could prove to be extremely damaging to the already fragile Icelandic economy and its international reputation.”

He urged the government to protect the multi-million pound whale watching industry which offered a “humane and profitable alternative” to killing the marine animals.

Ifaw’s calls to reverse the decision and promote whale watching instead were backed by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS).

The WDCS accused the whalers of using “shaky excuses” that whales needed to be killed to preserve fish stocks, and said pollution, climate change and over-fishing all posed greater threats to the numbers of fish than whales.

Sue Fisher, campaigner for WDCS, also said: “Iceland’s fishing industry is essentially an export economy and Iceland’s fisheries need to remember that many consumers simply will not want to buy fish from sources that are linked to killing whales.”

And she said it cost more to run the whaling industry than it received in profit.