WDCS Sceptical About Reports Of Cancelled Icelandic Fin Whale Hunt
WDCS urges caution about reports emerging from Iceland that the Icelandic whaling company, Hvalur, will not hunt for fin whales this summer.
A failure to agree on salaries with seamen and a lack of demand for the meat in Japan following the tsunami have been cited as reasons for the possible cancellation of the hunts this year, during which the fleet planned to slaughter 60-70 whales from its quota of 150 this season.
Iceland has halted fin whaling previously, only to take up the harpoon again. In 2007, for example, Iceland declared that it was ending commercial whaling, only to resume hunting in 2009, targeting more whales and increasing exports of whale products.
Iceland continues to hunt whales despite an international ban on commercial whaling, and hunting for minke whales is well underway.
