Europeans are killing whales in increasing numbers as Norway, Denmark and Iceland propose to hunt 1,478 whales compared to Japan's 1,280 in 2009
John Vidal, guardian.co.uk 19 Jun 09;
Europe plans to hunt more whales than Japan for the first time in many years, dividing EU countries and dismaying conservationists who say that whaling is escalating in response to the worldwide recession.
Figures seen by the Guardian before a meeting of more than 80 countries next week, show that Norway, Denmark and Iceland propose to hunt 1,478 whales compared to Japan's 1,280 in 2009. This would be an increase of nearly 20% by Europe on last year.
"Europe likes to point the finger at Japan as a rogue whaling nation but Europeans are killing whales in increasing numbers in their own waters. Europe has become whale enemy number one", said Kate O'Connell, campaigner for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS).
Iceland – which today began its 2009 hunt by killing the first two of 150 fin whales – and Norway, are the only two countries to hunt whales commercially. This breaches a 23-year-old worldwide moratorium introduced to preserve critically endangered whale populations.
This year, Norway proposes to kill 885 minke whales, and Iceland 350 whales in total. Denmark will apply to hunt 245 on behalf of indigenous Inuit hunters in its semi-autonomous territory Greenland. Most of the whale meat caught in European waters will be sold to Japan.
Japan, which practises thinly disguised commercial whaling under the guise of scientific research, plans to kill 850 whales in Antarctic waters this season, as well as more than 400 in the Pacific. It wants to kill fewer whales than last year but is seeking permission to hunt more in its coastal waters.
Britain today increased diplomatic pressure on Iceland to stop its whaling, warning that it intended to make it a condition of the country's expected application to join the EU that it abandon commercial whaling. Fisheries minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: "If Iceland were to join Europe then Britain would expect they would be obliged to end their whaling operation. We would urge renegotiation."
A spokesman for the new Iceland government said: "The government has said it will honour this year's quota but will reassess the whaling situation by the end of the year. A study is being done by the economic institute of the University of Iceland. Whaling will obviously be part of the talks when Iceland negotiates its entry to the EU."
An independent economic report commissioned by conservation groups WWF and WDCS released today in advance of the International whaling commission (IWC) summit in Madeira, concludes that whaling is no longer economically viable.
Japan, it claimed, has spent $164m (£100m) backing its whaling industry since 1988, and Norwegian subsidies equal almost half of the gross value of all whale-meat landings. Sales of whale meat, blubber, and other whale products in Japan "have made financial losses for most of the last 20 years", it said.
The research says that killing more whales will only hurt the growing whale-watching industry, and damage the international image of Norway and Japan. "Norway and Japan are hurting tourism, a potential growth industry in both countries in order to spend millions of dollars obtaining whale meat, the sale of which makes no profit. How much longer are they going to keep wasting their taxpayer's money?" said a spokeswoman for WWF.
Earlier this year more than 115,000 people pledged to visit Iceland as soon as the government announced an end to whaling.
The number of pro- and anti-whaling countries are finely balanced within the IWC, with both sides continuing to recruit as many countries as possible to boost their positions. Japan in the past has offered many small countries development aid to vote with them, but Britain and other countries have also leaned on eastern European countries to join.
Australia and New Zealand said this week that they would mount a non-lethal whale research expedition to the Antarctic, as a direct challenge to Japan's research programme, which maintains it must kill whales to study them. The six-week expedition aims to prove that whales needn't be killed for study, the two governments said in a joint statement.
The IWC meeting is being held amidst are fears that environment groups are stepping up campaigns to stop whaling. A previously unknown Norwegian group called Agenda 21 attacked a whaling ship in April, bringing to six the number of whaling boats sabotaged in Norway.
Sea Shepherd, a radical California-based group which has admitted sabotaging whalers in Iceland and elsewhere, has also threatened to return to Europe.
Today , the Icelandic whaling ship Hvalur 9 returned to the Hvalfjord whaling station to process its first catch.
FLASHPOINTS
GREENLAND: The semi-autonomous Danish territory wants to hunt 50 endangered fin whales for indigenous consumption, but most of the meat will be sold to Japan
RUSSIA: Oil companies on the Sakhalin peninsular in the far east of Russia threaten feeding grounds of critically endangered whales
NORWAY: The Lofoten islands are the centre of Norwegian whaling, but also target of anti-whaling groups
ANTARCTICA: The entire sea around Antarctica has been declared a whale sanctuary but Japan regularly hunts whales there
ICELAND: Government may be forced to stop whaling if it wants to joins EU
EU membership will kill whale hunting in Iceland: CEO
Yahoo News 19 Jun 09:
REYKJAVIK (AFP) – Iceland would probably be forced to end its controversial whale hunting tradition in its bid to join the European Union, the head of a leading Icelandic whaling company said.
Kristjan Loftsson, the 66-year-old chief executive of Hvalur, fears Brussels would clamp down on whaling in Iceland due to widespread opposition by European countries.
"I would not be surprised if whale hunting has to be stopped," Loftsson told AFP.
Iceland and Norway are the only two countries in the world that authorise commercial whaling despite a 23-year-old moratorium set by the International Whaling Commission, which opens its annual meeting Monday in Portugal's Madeira island.
Iceland, which pulled out of the moratorium in 2006, launched its annual whaling season on May 26 with a larger hunting quota, sparking protests from EU powerhouses Britain, France and Germany as well as the United States.
Loftsson said Iceland should stay out of the EU, not in the interests of whale hunters but in the interest of the country's fishing industry as a whole.
Iceland's Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir campaigned in the country's recent elections on a promise to let Icelandic voters have the final say on joining the EU.
But Loftsson questioned whether many support membership.
"I am very sceptical that Iceland will join the European Union in the near future," Loftsson said.
"I think the Icelandic people are sufficiently well-informed to say 'No' to Europe," he said.
In February, Iceland sparked an outcry amongst environmental groups when it increased its whaling quotas to 150 fin whales and 100 minke whales per year, up from the nine fin whales and 40 minke whales per year.
But Loftsson, who started hunting at the age of 13, is defiant on this point. He stressed that whaling "like any other industry creates jobs, income and foreign currency" and is an essential part of the Icelandic economy.
The Hvalur chief executive also rejected the fears of environmentalists, who argue the whale is an endangered species and must be protected.
"This is just a natural resource that people want to use. It's estimated there are some 20,000 fin whales around Iceland. With that in mind, 150 (hunted this year) is unlikely to make a big difference," Loftsson said.
He dismissed claims by Greenpeace that the popularity of whale meat was on the slide.
"Each whale's value depends on its size and age. I don't know anyone in business and aims to lose money," he said.
Hvalur has been hunting whales since 1948 and employees about 150 people, of which 30 people are deployed on its two fishing vessels. It is currently the only company which is allowed to hunt fin whales around the Icelandic coast.
Iceland's higher hunting quota may add fuel to the always heated debate at the annual International Whaling Commission meeting, where pro-hunting nations have been fighting for an end to the moratorium that was set in 1986.
While Iceland and Norway openly defy the ban, Japan uses a loophole that allows "lethal research" on the ocean giants, with the meat then heading to restaurants and supermarkets.
Last year, Iceland decided to resume whale meat exports to Japan after an 18-year hiatus.
Icelandic whalers bring in season's first big catches
Yahoo News 19 Jun 09;
AKRANES (AFP) – Icelandic whale hunters have brought in their first big catches of the season, two fin whales weighing around 35 tonnes each, an AFP photographer witnessed Friday.
The boat, Hvalur 9, arrived overnight Thursday to Friday at the port of Akranes, 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of capital Reykjavik, towing the bodies of the 20 metre (65 foot) long mammals.
The huge whales were swiftly carved up to separate the blubber from the meat, and a piece of meat was tasted by an inspector to check the quality.
Environmental campaign group Greenpeace condemned the catch, saying Iceland would pay a high price for continuing the controversial practice.
"What little profit (the whaler) may take from this fin whale hunt will come at a great cost to Iceland - economically and politically," warned Sara Holden, Greenpeace International's whale campaign coordinator.
Iceland's whaling season opened on May 26, amid fierce opposition from environmental groups angered by a sharp rise in quotas this year.
Iceland increased its quota to 100 minke whales and 150 fin whales, from a quota of 40 minke whales and nine fin whales last year.
Many species of whales are now endangered and hunting of the marine mammal was officially banned with a moratorium in 1986.
Iceland and Norway are the only two countries in the world that now authorise commercial whaling.
Iceland withdrew from the moratorium in 2006, and Norway in 1993, triggering an international outcry on both occasions.
Japan officially allows whaling for scientific purposes, but the meat is then sold to restaurants and supermarkets.
