A rising tide against whaling in Iceland?

In the latest informed and articulate description of the whaling debate facing Iceland, Sigrún Davíðsdóttir has written an excellent analysis of the position of Kristján Loftsson and his Hvalur hf fin whaling company.

In her article Davíðsdóttir looks at the rehetoric of the Icelandic Government and the ambitions of Kristján Loftsson, son of Loftur Bjarnason who founded Hvalur hf, Iceland’s one and only fin whaling company and the contrast of the recent opposing statements of Birna Björk Árnadóttir, a grandchild of one of the founders of Hvalur hf.

She makes an interesting observation that “…Some say that Loftsson’s push to keep Hvalur hf whaling seems to have more to do with Freud than financial motives; he cannot let go of the activities his father built up…”

In her conclusion, Davíðsdóttir notes that, “…As so often, the politicians seem to be the last to sense that ever more Icelanders do indeed think like Árnadóttir: whaling makes no sense whatsoever and it does indeed belong to Iceland’s past and not its future…”