Iceland accepted as full member of IWC
High North News (14.10.02): After two years of debate, Iceland today finally became a fully-recognised member of the
International Whaling Commission (IWC).
The decision was made at a Special Meeting of the IWC today in Cambridge, UK.
"We are very happy that this issue has been settled, and we hope to contribute constructively to the future work of the
IWC," said Stefan Asmundsson, Iceland's IWC Commissioner.
Iceland's membership was accompanied by a reservation to the moratorium on commercial whaling. This means that Iceland
is free to legally resume whaling, like Norway. However it promised not to start commercial whaling before 2006, unless
the IWC gives Iceland a whaling quota.
This is the third time in the last two years that Iceland has rejoined the IWC, but the first time it has been
officially recognised as a member with full voting rights and their reservation to the moratorium accepted.