US mulls sanctions against Iceland over whaling

Jul 21, 2011, 9:19 GMT

Washington - The United States said Wednesday it's weighing the possibility of sanctioning Iceland over the North Atlantic country's refusal to adhere to an international ban on commercial whaling.

The US Commerce Department said in recent years that Iceland has increased whaling and undermined the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission.

The determination gives US President Barack Obama 60 days under US law to decide whether to enact sanctions on Iceland.

'Iceland's actions threaten the conservation status of fin whales, an endangered species, and undermine multilateral efforts to ensure greater worldwide protection for whales,' Commerce Secretary Gary Locke wrote in a letter to Obama, published online.

The Commerce Department said that in 2009 and 2010, Iceland's government permitted the killing of 273 fin whales and continued allowing the slaughter of minke whales.

The government of Iceland issued a statement expressing 'surprise' over the US conclusion, saying that it only harvests a small portion of the population of fin and minke whales.

'Icelandic whaling has a sound scientific basis, and there can be no doubt that it is sustainable,' Iceland's Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture said.

The ministry said the annual quota for minke whales is 216 out of 70,000 animals and 154 from a stock of 20,000 fin whales.