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Whaling in Iceland

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Iceland has a long tradition of subsistence whaling; whaling of one form or another has been conducted from the island since it became populated more than eleven hundred years ago. The early reliance on whales is reflected in the Icelandic language - hvalreki is the word for both "beached whale" and "jackpot" [1].

Whaling history

Modern whaling in Iceland began in 1883, although whaling has been a part of the Icelandic culture since it was settled by Scandinavians and other Nordic peoples in the 9th century. By 1915, 17,000 whales had been taken from Icelandic waters, mostly due to excessive whaling by Norwegian fishermen. The Icelandic Government banned whaling in its waters to allow time for population recovery. The law was repealed in 1928.

By 1935, Icelanders had set up their own commercial whaling operation for the first time. They hunted mostly Sei, fin, and minke whales. In the early years of this operation, blue, sperm, and humpback whales were also hunted, but this was soon prohibited due to decimated numbers. Between 1935 and 1985, Icelandic whalers killed around 20,000 animals in total.

International Whaling Commission

Beginning in 1990, Iceland abided by the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on commercial whaling.

Unlike Norway, Iceland did not take a reservation against the IWC moratorium, which came into force in 1986. Between 1986 and 1989 around 60 animals per year were taken under a scientific permit. However, under strong pressure from anti-whaling countries, viewing scientific whaling as a circumvention of the moratorium, Iceland ceased whaling altogether in 1989. Following the 1991 refusal of the IWC to accept its Scientific Committee's recommendation to allow sustainable commercial whaling, Iceland left the IWC in 1992.

Iceland rejoined the IWC in 2002 with a reservation to the moratorium. This reservation is not recognized by anti-whaling countries. The issue is a fine point of international law. Countries are allowed to take reservations to international treaties or agreements, in which they simply state that they disagree with a particular point and refuse to abide by it. However, the reservation must be lodged as the international treaty, or in this case moratorium, comes into effect. Norway, a fellow member of the IWC, promptly stated its reservation and its continued whaling is considered proper under international law. In contrast, from 1986 to 1991 Iceland did not state a reservation to the moratorium. After leaving the IWC, it then rejoined with a reservation - taking the position that the departure and re-entry had "reset" its international obligations under the IWC and that it could take a reservation, as if it was the first time it was affected by the moratorium. Opponents of whaling argue that legal reservations do not work this way and that Iceland cannot take a reservation once it has accepted it.

In 2003 Iceland resumed scientific whaling. Iceland presented a feasibility study to the 2003 IWC meeting to take 100 minke, 100 fin, and 50 sei in each of 2003 and 2004. The primary aim of the study was to deepen the understanding of fish-whale interactions - the strongest advocates for a resumed hunt are fisherman concerned that whales are taking too many fish. The hunt was supported by three-quarters of the Icelandic population. Amid concern from the IWC Scientific Committee about the value of the research and its relevance to IWC objectives, no decision on the proposal was reached. However under the terms of the convention the Icelandic government issued permits for a scientific catch. In 2003, Iceland took 36 minke whales from a quota of 38. In 2004, it took 25 whales (the full quota). In 2005, the government issued a permit for a third successive year - allowing whalers to take up to 39 whales. As with other countries' scientific whaling claims, Iceland's was disputed widely by environmental non-governmental organizations like Greenpeace.

Resumed commercial whaling in 2006

In October 2006, the Icelandic government issued licenses for a commercial whale hunt in addition to the continuing scientific program.[2] They waited this long after rejoining the IWC to return to commercial whaling, as they had pledged to do when they joined. But they also said they would not begin commercial hunting while there was some process at the IWC of developing new rules for sustainable hunting, however they believe that has now stalled due to the differences between those who want to resume whaling and those who do not.

Over the twelve-month period ending in August 2007, Icelandic whalers have been authorized by the Icelandic government to hunt and sell 30 minke whales and 9 fin whales.[3] Iceland broke the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling on 21 October 2006 after Icelandic whalers killed a fin whale.[4] However, because of the above mentioned reservation, Iceland stated that it is not subject to that moratorium.

Kristján Loftsson, owner of the whaling company Hvalur (Icelandic for Whale), which had to diversify from its main industry for the past 20 years, has stated that there is no reason they can't continue hunting whales for eternity, by sustainable management of the hunting. The company's whaling boat, Hvalur 9, reached harbour in their old industry station in Hvalfjörður ('Whalefjord') with its first catch the morning of October 22 2006.

Sustainability

Although fin whales are considered endangered on a worldwide basis, that is not the case in Icelandic waters.[citation needed] Their numbers in the ocean around the island have grown to what Iceland believes to be a stable level. The Fin whale population in the North Atlantic was estimated to be 23.000 in 2001, and the estimated population of minke whales in the North Atlantic in 2001 was said to be around 67.000 in the North atlantic central stock region with 44.000 in Icelantic whaters. [1] According to the Icelandic Marine Research Institute the taking of up to 150 fin whales and up to 400 minke whales a year in the Icelandic resources jurisdiction is sustainable.[5] The Icelandic government has allowed the taking of 9 fin whales (6% of the justifiable amount) and 30 minke whales (7.5% of the justifiable amount) until the end of August, 2007.

See also

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  1. ^ Saving the Whales, Again
  2. ^ ""Iceland Resumes Commercial Whaling"". Discovery.com News. 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2006-10-17.
  3. ^ "Quota set on whaling", Reuters, 17 October 2006
  4. ^ "Iceland 'breaks ban on whaling'", BBC News, 22 October 2006
  5. ^ "State of marine stocks in Icelandic waters", The Icelandic Marine Research Institute, 23 October 2006
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