Iceland fights for right to export whale meat

By Thomas Borchert May 1, 2010, 16:24 GMT

Reykjavik - Battle lines are being drawn anew over the global moratorium on commercial whaling in place since 1986.

Iceland, which resumed commercial whaling in 2006 under an exemption, is insisting on its right to export whale meat in the run- up to the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in June.

Iceland's IWC Commissioner Tomas Heidar has categorically rejected a compromise proposed by the commission's chairman last week that would ban all exports of whale meat while allowing limited commercial hunting.

'We're totally against a ban on international trade. As long as that is on the table, we're not ready for negotiations on catch quotas,' Heidar told the German Press Agency dpa.

Environmentalists and animal conservationists have also condemned the IWC's draft compromise - for allowing whaling at all.

'The proposal is a capitulation to the whaling nations,' said Sandra Altherr, the spokeswoman for the Munich-based animal conservation group Pro Wildlife.

Given Iceland's position on the proposal, it seems likely that the annual meeting of the IWC, to be held this year in Agadir, Morocco, will yet again fail to reach a universal consensus on whaling.

The world's two other whaling nations, Japan and Norway, have reacted to the IWC proposal differently. While the Japanese have expressed cautious optimism, the Norwegians have indicated that they expect no agreement.

Iceland's opposition comes despite its heightened interest in ending the long-running whaling dispute since applying for membership in the European Union (EU) last year.

'Reaching agreement in the IWC would make negotiations with the EU easier,' Heidar noted.

He pointed to Germany as one of the members of the 88-nation IWC most amenable to compromise, as it 'appears to be strongly interested in an agreement in the IWC.'

One sticking point that remains, however, is Iceland's highly controversial export of meat from endangered fin whales.

In early April, Greenpeace activists chained themselves to a ship moored in the Netherlands to block its cargo of Icelandic fin whale meat, which was bound for Japan. The meat is banned in the EU.

Extremely sluggish sales of the meat in the Far East have not weakened Iceland's defence of the exports.

'It's a matter of principle,' said Heidar, adding that his country needs 'the income and jobs.'

Icelanders resumed commercial hunting in their waters for fin whales and the smaller minke whales four years ago, no longer regarding their populations as endangered.

On the contrary, the country's fishing industry sees itself endangered by the numerous whales - voracious competitors in the hunt for other marine creatures.