Outrage at resumption of whaling

Friday, 15 August 2003 12:00 AM

The Greenpeace flagship, Rainbow Warrior, is en route to Greenland today to highlight Iceland's resumption of whaling.

The Icelandic government announced last week that it was to restart hunting whales 'for scientific purposes'. The move bypasses the international agreement to end commercial whaling which was imposed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986.

Iceland claims that it needs to carry out research on the whaling population to see the effects they have on fish stocks in the Northern Atlantic. It wants to kill 38 minke whales in August and September, in the first stage of a plan to kill 500 whales of three different species over two years.

The Icelandic government is coming under extensive criticism from animal rights campaigners who claim the scientific research is a front to begin commercial whaling.

Gerd Leipold, Executive Director of Greenpeace International said, 'No science justifies the killing of whales. This is simply an underhand attempt by the Icelandic government to resume commercial whaling.'

The RSPCA is calling on UK shoppers to boycott Icelandic goods in protest to the resumption of whaling. It is concerned that Icelandic whalers will be using exploding grenade harpoons which lead to an agonising death for the mammals.

RSPCA marine scientific officer Laila Sadler commented, 'We are horrified by this development and echo international scientific criticism of this so-called research. We are convinced that whales are not responsible for a decline in fish numbers, but what we do know is that whales will suffer.'

'Whatever guise whaling comes under the simple fact is that it is a barbaric practice. Iceland's claim that 'sustainable' numbers will be killed disregards the fact that each animal suffers an inhumane death as it is harpooned and dragged onto a ship for processing.'

'The RSPCA fears that Iceland is testing the water and if opposition is not widespread then this could be the start of a return to more extensive whaling.'

The RSPCA wants to see a boycott of Icelandic cod and fish products which make up more than 70% of the country's exports.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) warned that the country has a lot to lose by damaging international opinion. IFAW highlighted that the country's whale watching industry will be damaged by the resumption of whaling. Forty per cent of tourists to Iceland participate in whale watching.

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