Post by ironman on Oct 17, 2006 17:12:58 GMT 1
Iceland begins commercial whaling
By Richard Black
Environment Correspondent, BBC News website
Whaling ships have been gearing up for commercial hunting
Iceland is to resume commercial hunting of whales, the BBC has learned.
Icelandic ships will take nine fin whales, an endangered species, and 30 minke whales each year.
In a statement, the fisheries ministry said Iceland was dependent on living marine resources, and would keep catches within sustainable limits.
Norway is the only other country to hunt commercially; most are bound by a 20-year moratorium. Currently Iceland hunts minkes for "scientific research".
The scientific plan will conclude at the end of the 2007 season, the government said.
Whales and fish
Rumours of a resumption have been circulating for some weeks, and a local company Hvalur hf has, according to newspapers, been outfitting a processing plant and staffing a whaling ship.
This decision is giving the finger to the international community
Arni Finnsson
The resumption will be greeted with dismay by conservation groups, alarmed by the passing of the first pro-hunting resolution in 20 years at this year's International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting.
"We are surprised and disappointed," said Arni Finnsson from the Iceland Nature Conservation Association (Inca).
"There is no market for this meat in Iceland, there is no possibility to export it to Japan; the government appears to have listened to fishermen who are blaming whales for eating all the fish.
"This decision is giving the finger to the international community."
Guide to whale species
The Icelandic government had become frustrated with IWC negotiations on the Revised Management Scheme (RMS), a protocol designed to re-introduce commercial hunting under strict international catch limits, said Rune Frovik from the High North Alliance, a group representing whalers, sealers and fishermen in high latitude countries.
"When Iceland rejoined the IWC in 2002, they said they would not resume commercial whaling before 2006; they also said they would not resume as long as there was progress on the RMS.
"But at this year's IWC meeting, the process stopped - there was no progress."
'Sustainable' catch
Iceland maintains local stocks are high enough to permit some hunting, despite the endangered status of the fin.
"The total stock size of central and north Atlantic minke whales is close to 70,000 animals, of which around 43,600 are in Icelandic costal waters," said the government's statement.
"The number of fin whales in the [area] is estimated at around 25,800 animals.
"The catches are clearly sustainable and therefore consistent with the principle of sustainable development."
Legal moves
Iceland gave up commercial hunts when the global moratorium was introduced in 1986, and stopped all whaling in 1989.
We believe it's time for a new agreement on cetaceans, and this just proves it
Sue Lieberman
Having left the IWC in 1992, it rejoined in 2002 stating a "reservation" to the moratorium; and the circumstances surrounding its rejoining may leave its decision to resume commercial hunting open to legal challenge.
Countries stating a reservation at the moratorium's inception are allowed to hunt commercially, though Norway is the only one that does.
"Anti-whaling nations at the time Iceland rejoined said the rejoining was illegal because it hadn't taken the reservation when it left the IWC," said Sue Lieberman, director of the global species programme at WWF International.
"The view of anti-whaling countries will, I predict, not change - they believe that Iceland's reservation is not legal - so we, and I believe they, will argue that Iceland's commercial whaling is in contravention of the IWC."
Where any legal challenge could go is another matter - there is no procedure for dispute resolution within the Commission.
"It is a completely flawed treaty in that regard," said Dr Lieberman. "We believe it's time for a new agreement on cetaceans, and this just proves it."
Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk
By Richard Black
Environment Correspondent, BBC News website
Whaling ships have been gearing up for commercial hunting
Iceland is to resume commercial hunting of whales, the BBC has learned.
Icelandic ships will take nine fin whales, an endangered species, and 30 minke whales each year.
In a statement, the fisheries ministry said Iceland was dependent on living marine resources, and would keep catches within sustainable limits.
Norway is the only other country to hunt commercially; most are bound by a 20-year moratorium. Currently Iceland hunts minkes for "scientific research".
The scientific plan will conclude at the end of the 2007 season, the government said.
Whales and fish
Rumours of a resumption have been circulating for some weeks, and a local company Hvalur hf has, according to newspapers, been outfitting a processing plant and staffing a whaling ship.
This decision is giving the finger to the international community
Arni Finnsson
The resumption will be greeted with dismay by conservation groups, alarmed by the passing of the first pro-hunting resolution in 20 years at this year's International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting.
"We are surprised and disappointed," said Arni Finnsson from the Iceland Nature Conservation Association (Inca).
"There is no market for this meat in Iceland, there is no possibility to export it to Japan; the government appears to have listened to fishermen who are blaming whales for eating all the fish.
"This decision is giving the finger to the international community."
Guide to whale species
The Icelandic government had become frustrated with IWC negotiations on the Revised Management Scheme (RMS), a protocol designed to re-introduce commercial hunting under strict international catch limits, said Rune Frovik from the High North Alliance, a group representing whalers, sealers and fishermen in high latitude countries.
"When Iceland rejoined the IWC in 2002, they said they would not resume commercial whaling before 2006; they also said they would not resume as long as there was progress on the RMS.
"But at this year's IWC meeting, the process stopped - there was no progress."
'Sustainable' catch
Iceland maintains local stocks are high enough to permit some hunting, despite the endangered status of the fin.
"The total stock size of central and north Atlantic minke whales is close to 70,000 animals, of which around 43,600 are in Icelandic costal waters," said the government's statement.
"The number of fin whales in the [area] is estimated at around 25,800 animals.
"The catches are clearly sustainable and therefore consistent with the principle of sustainable development."
Legal moves
Iceland gave up commercial hunts when the global moratorium was introduced in 1986, and stopped all whaling in 1989.
We believe it's time for a new agreement on cetaceans, and this just proves it
Sue Lieberman
Having left the IWC in 1992, it rejoined in 2002 stating a "reservation" to the moratorium; and the circumstances surrounding its rejoining may leave its decision to resume commercial hunting open to legal challenge.
Countries stating a reservation at the moratorium's inception are allowed to hunt commercially, though Norway is the only one that does.
"Anti-whaling nations at the time Iceland rejoined said the rejoining was illegal because it hadn't taken the reservation when it left the IWC," said Sue Lieberman, director of the global species programme at WWF International.
"The view of anti-whaling countries will, I predict, not change - they believe that Iceland's reservation is not legal - so we, and I believe they, will argue that Iceland's commercial whaling is in contravention of the IWC."
Where any legal challenge could go is another matter - there is no procedure for dispute resolution within the Commission.
"It is a completely flawed treaty in that regard," said Dr Lieberman. "We believe it's time for a new agreement on cetaceans, and this just proves it."
Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk
