Iceland abandons major part of whaling programme
Amsterdam 2 June 2004
The Icelandic government will put their so called “scientific” whaling programme on hold and limit this years take to 25
minke whales. The planned take of 500 whales, including sei and fin during a 2 year period, have been cancelled, due to
a strong domestic criticism combined with the lack of a market for whale products.
A total of 36 minke whales have been caught since last year when Iceland, despite massive global protests, resumed
whaling again for the first time in 14 years. (1)
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-This is as close to a victory as we could have hoped for, said Greenpeace spokesperson Frode Pleym. The Government of
Iceland has made a wise decision, that will benefit the Icelandic people in the future. By choosing a truly sustainable
future path, Iceland sets an example for other whaling nations to follow.
The market for whale meat is small and decreasing in whaling nations Iceland, Norway and Japan due to changed eating
habits and the level of environmental toxins in the whale products. Iceland still has an ample supply of whale meat left
since last years take and no future market in sight.
The growing domestic opposition also came as a surprise to the Government. The Icelandic tourist association and the
whale watching operators have made it clear that a restart of whaling in Iceland will damage the reputation of the
nation and decrease the amount of tourists visiting. Tourism has become one of the major sources of income in Iceland in
recent years and whale watching attracts around 72,000 tourists yearly and is worth more than $14.6 million USD a year
to the Icelandic economy.
- Greenpeace will keep following the whaling issue until the Icelandic government puts a final stop to this industry of
the past. The Greenpeace ship MV Esperanza will visit Iceland again this summer and we will be campaigning at the annual
IWC-meeting in Italy in July for the moratorium on whaling to be respected, said Pleym.
Last autumn Greenpeace launched an offer to the Icelandic Government showing the clear economic and environmental gain
in choosing sustainable tourism over whaling. By taking a pledge people worldwide pledged to consider a vacation in
Iceland if whaling was stopped. Today over 50 000 people have taken the pledge representing 58,3 million USD in tourism
value versus 4 million USD from commercial whaling at its peak. (2)
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