Market demand to influence Icelandic decision on commercial whaling

Nov 19, 2007, 18:23 GMT

Reykjavik/Stockholm - A decision by Iceland to resume commercial whaling would be based mainly on 'market demand,' a fisheries ministry official said Monday.

'Our whalers are currently searching for a market,' whaling commissioner Stefan Asmundsson said.

In late August, Fisheries Minister Einar Gudfinsson said the North Atlantic nation would for the time being provide no new catch quotas in light of the absence of interest from clients of whale meat.

In 2006 Reykjavik approved the killing of 39 minke whales and nine fin whales for commercial purposes after a break of more than 20 years, although it allowed whale hunting for research.

But just seven of each of the species were hunted by Icelandic whalers, mostly because of the surprisingly low prospects for sales in Japan.

Asmundsson reiterated the Reykjavik view that Icelandic whaling was sustainable and necessary to protect other species.

Norway has also allowed whaling of minke whales since 1993, arguing that hunting was necessary to prevent the minke whale population from growing so large that it threatened fish stocks.

Minke whales are the smallest of the seven great whales. They are up to 11 metres long, and can weigh about 8 tons. The fin whale is the second largest of the seven great whales. They are up to 24 metres long, and can weigh between 45 and 64 tons.