Iceland to begin exporting whale meat

[n2doc]

Iceland to begin whalemeat trade
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website


Some of Iceland's scientific catch will be exported to the Faroes

Iceland is to begin exporting whalemeat from its scientific whaling programme. Iceland's whaling commissioner told the BBC that up to two tonnes of minke whalemeat would be exported to the Faroe Islands. Environmental groups say the deal breaches international rules on trading threatened species, though Iceland and the Faroe Islands say it does not. Campaigners also say the trade could become a smokescreen for illegal hunting of whales. Although commercial whaling is banned worldwide, Iceland, like Japan, hunts minke whales for "scientific research"; this year its boats caught about 60 individuals.Until now, meat from the hunt has been sold in Iceland. But the country's whaling commissioner Stefan Asmundsson told the BBC News website that exports to the Faroe Islands will begin soon.

"Essentially Iceland and the Faroes established a joint trade area, and because of that we do not have any limits on exporting whalemeat to the Faroes any more than any other products," he said. "Our motivation is to increase trade and therefore prosperity in both countries."

Countries and borders

Environmental groups believe the trade is illegal under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), which prevents member countries from exporting or importing products of "listed" species unless they have tabled a "reservation".

Iceland has tabled a reservation on minkes; but Denmark, which includes the Faroes as a dependent territory, has not.



"There is no environmental reason for opposing sustainable whaling"
Stefan Asmundsson


"We think it's illegal under Cites, and we are onto it," said Arni Finnsson from the Iceland Nature Conservation Association (Inca). The key issue is whether Denmark acts on behalf of the Faroes, which are now largely self-governing, in Cites matters. In 2003, when Norway began whalemeat exports to the Faroes, Cites secretary-general Willem Wijnstekers ruled the deal illegal because of Denmark's membership. Since then, Denmark has told Cites that the Faroes are exempt; and the Faroes Islands government said in a statement: "In conjunction with Denmark's ratification of the Cites convention in 1977, a unilateral declaration was submitted noting that the convention would be applicable in the Faroe Islands when the Faroese authorities had established the necessary legislation.

"As such legislation has not been established in the Faroe Islands, the declaration made by Denmark in 1977 still applies; Cites provisions... are not applicable to the Faroe Islands." The Danish government says it continues to press the Faroes to implement Cites legislation; in the meantime, environmental groups disagree with the Faroes exemption and are looking at the possibilities of a legal challenge.
more:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5319734.stm

[xchrom]

1. iceland is plumbing the depths of humanity's

more disgusting qualities.

[whistle]

2. Whales are at the top of the food chain aren't they? Thin out the whale

...population and there will be lots more fish for human consumption available. I don't agree with this position, but isn't it a fact?

[hatrack]

3. Not if they're baleen whales - they're eating phytoplankton & zooplankton

Toothed whales are higher up.

Besides, tests of whale meat sold in Japan in the last ten years has shown high (really high) concentrations of dioxin, PCBs and other POPs.

I wouldn't eat whale meat if you bought it for me for health reasons alone.

[n2doc]

4. Most whales eat plankton

There are some who eat small fish (sardine size) and a few (Orca) that eat larger ones. The population of catchable fish is not regulated by the number of whales, who are far too few in number to do so. The decline in fish populations is due to the fact that Humans have become very efficient at catching them by the millions of tons.
So no, it is not a fact.