One down, two to go….
Good news (albeit a temporary reprieve at this stage) for whales out of Iceland.
Iceland announced last year it would allow up to 30 minke whales and 9 fin whales to be hunted, controversially ending a ban in place since 1986. But their Fisheries Minister has refused to renew the quota until the demand for whale meat increases.
According to this article, Iceland isn’t allowed to sell their whale meat to Japan under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species, though many anti-whaling groups are talking of massive stockpiling of whale meat in Japan anyway.
You can also sign the Greenpeace Iceland pledge here, though I’m not sure a trip to Iceland was looming in my foreseeable future either way. It does show the flimsiness of relying on an economic argument - it wouldn’t take many whale watchers to surpass the possible $4 million value Iceland was deriving from commercial whaling at it’s peak.
August 28th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Any chance that we can convince President Bush that Iceland & Japan are part of the Axis of evil?
August 29th, 2007 at 12:49 am
Just mention that there’s oil in them there whales and he’ll be in like Flynn.
August 29th, 2007 at 6:48 am
Hmm..on second thoughts perhaps thats not the best idea..lol
August 29th, 2007 at 7:54 am
I think the noises in the oceans must make whales life a misery… we can’t imagine.
jh
August 29th, 2007 at 9:30 am
You’d have to spend some time listening. I have done that (while in the Navy, it was one of the training sessions). I don’t think that most of the noises are harmful… things that go boom and active sonars close up, yeah, but those are not used much. Ranges are limited too… I think purposely sticking harpoons in them is a lot more damaging.
BJ