In just a few short months, Iceland has killed over 150 whales despite a 1986 international ban on commercial whaling and ban on international trade in whale products. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) reports 63 minke whales and at least 93 endangered fin whales have been slaughtered since May 2009, in what is being described as the largest commercial hunt in the North Atlantic in decades.
Despite the moratorium, Iceland’s Fisheries Minister Steingrimur J. Sigfusson is allowing the slaughter of 100 minke whales and 150 fin whales for 2009. But Iceland is not the only country that kills whales. Along with Iceland, Japan and Norway kill over 2000 whales annually.
And according to the WDCS site, some nations are in favor of lifting the whaling ban. In fact, Japan is reportedly pressuring some nations to lift the ban “using development aid as an incentive.” The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has granted limited aboriginal subsistence whaling of fin whales in Greenland.
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), there is no humane method of killing whales. Many whales take at least thirty minutes to die a slow and painful death.
Fin Whales
Also known as the “greyhound of the deep,” fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus, can reach speeds of up to 23 miles per hour. Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, fin whales were heavily hunted in the past. Besides hunting, threats to the whale include entanglement in fishing gear, reduced prey, collisions and habitat degradation.
For an overview on Iceland’s whaling position, visit the Icelandic Fisheries website. Visit the Save the Whales campaign on Facebook.
Update: Tomas Heidar, Iceland’s Commissioner to the IWC, Ministry for Fisheries and Agriculture, issued a written response to the New York Times earlier this afternoon.
Photo Annie Douglas NOAA
My question is: Are you really serious? When has the Icelandic government issued license on killing endangered species?
Are you for real? When has the Icelandic government issued license to kill endangered species? We have always treated the creatures of the ocean equally. It is just so convenient to use whales as a bait for higher funds, that all these so called environmentalist groups have targeted Icelandic whaling with such ludicrus accusations. As an Icelander wanting nothing more than being left alone to use the waters around Iceland in the same responsible way regarding whales as other creatures in the waters, as food, to be left alone. There is enough problems in the world, let alone California, to worry about without attacking 330thousand people in Iceland because of few whales. Why don´t you worry more about things going wrong in and around California & let us live the way we have been doing for centuries? i believe we know more about how to conserve the fish/mammals in the Icelandic waters, than a mom/teacher from Californa.
Best regards,
A proud Icelander.
Hello
I read your comment about whaling. I know its pointless to try to dicuss this but please try to have the facts right.Finnwhale is not endangered . I live in the contry near the ocecan,What I see every day is that the seebirds (puffin skuas fulmars artic stern) starve fourth or fifth year in row. You might suggest overfishing but the fact is that the fish that puffins eat has never been fished here. The fish is there but to far away because it follows the border of warm and cold sea wich is moving north: This
is destroyin birdlllife here thanks to among others US. I Think you are focusing on wrong things or mabey more comfortable things for your concience because the real issue is pollution .It will eventually destroy live in the oceaacan too. 30 years ago I saw the folloving text in us magazine that says it all
The codfish lies dead in the ocecan
The bluefish lies dead in the sea
They all died of water pollution
Caused by the oil compnee
……………….
and it ended if I remember correctly
Its not our sea Texaco released it from God
Regards Jón Guðmundsson
I am so ashamed to be considered a ‘human’, there isn’t any species who enjoys killing like ‘humans’ and the more inhumane the better!!! I no longer believe it is a horrible thought for the world to end.
The whales do not belong to Iceland or Norway or Japan! The whales belong to the oceans and the oceans are masses of water that move around the planet. Whales move (migrate) with these masses of water. Therefore, no country should have the right to kill the species of our oceans. If there is a consensus about fishing it should be set by representatives of the countries of the entire planet. The whales are historic pieces in the understanding of evolution, they are history of the planet, nobody should say that because they are in my countries water they are mine!!!! let’s be more reasonable.
You think we enjoy killing whale? Its a job, and we need this food. Neither of these two species of whales are endangered, get your facts straight. Start whining about your very own nuclear arsenal instead of us hunting about 3% of the worlds whales each year.
Their numbers are going up by the way not down.
Dont quit your dayjob.
Dont have a clue what you are talking about.
This whale is not an endangered species. If it was it would not be killed here.
@ Sandra Newell – You haven´t really been around animals have you? Ever seen the cat play with the mouse or bird? Ever seen the cheetah slay down the gazelle on the praire?
There are over 28 thousand fin whales in the sea around Iceland.
Hunting 150 in a year is 100% sustainable.
There are over 40 thousand mink whales in the sea around Iceland
Hunting 100 in a year is 100% sustainable.
Please get your facts straight
It seems to me, that since we all live on the same planet, share the same resources of the planet, and therefore need to share in responsibilities to keep our biosphere healthy in order for it to exist…there needs to be those in charge on a world scale far smarter than those trying to take care of their own little world for selfish profit, and myoptic mindedness.
It’s rather obvious the planets checks and balances are offscrew by mankind, and those that would injure that harmony knowingly or selfishly should be harpooned, shot, and eviscerated, but not neccessarily in that order.
Thank you all for your comments.
Fin whales are indeed considered an Endangered species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Please visit the link, or other links, posted in the article for further information.
Thanks!
Corporate opportunism is just sickening.
To the proud Icelander. Your children and grand children are never going to forgive you. After you have killed all the whales you will find you cannot eat money.
These whales belong to no one; no culture, no people. They are not ours to take. Period.
We Feel very Passionality Of this Painful Issue and were doing the best we can to help stop this whalling and get the word out.
TO ICELANDER
AND TO Bjarnhéðinn
and to Sveto
Perhaps on your death bed one day…you will finally realise..but even that is hopeful.You better hope you do realise..because some cultures speak of Kharma..and wouldnt it be funny if you all came back as fin whales…to be hunted,torchered and chopped up by your own people.You are unconcious, your minds are closed,like most people you have been taught what to think. Yes in nature, animals kill each other..but that is nessecity and purely for survival.AAAHH I can just hear it…now you say your people are hungry and they need to eat whale meat…and I say that is bull shit and you know it…Any ways im not going to waste my time arguing with you either..because lets face it,nobody is going to get into your thick skulls right now, I will however leave you with this..Everything is connected,whatever you do to the planet the ocean the grand magestic whales…you do to yourself.
God help us all.
This is just sickening! Why do humans always destroy nature?
i think the way you kill them is discusting, and to get facts right they are wiping out! and we have done this for hundreds of years, well lol times changed, more things are on the foot chain ….
sort it evil ass