Iceland's whale hunting season begins amid international outcry

Wednesday 21st May, 05:26 AM JST

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15 Comments

rjd_jr at 07:10 AM JST - 21st May

Finally, some other country besides Japan hunting whales and getting attention.
Pukey2 at 08:49 AM JST - 21st May

Japan was only the centre of attention because they do more damage. I'm glad they're criticizing Iceland now, because it'll give the likes of you to whine less.
cleo at 09:57 AM JST - 21st May

Iceland’s fisheries minister, claims whale hunting damages neither the environment nor his country’s reputation

Well he would, wouldn't he.

If they're killing endangered fin whales, they're doing no good for the environment. If their whale-killing skills are as good as the Japanese (slow, painful deaths, hanging from the tail and drowning in their own blood) their international reputation is hogswash. And if they're putting the meat on the market at home, they're also doing no good for the health of the populace.
ihope2eatwhales at 11:31 AM JST - 21st May

Congratulations Iceland, although their catch seems very low. I hope Japan will soon allow imports from Iceland so we here too may also enjoy their products.
smithinjapan at 07:47 PM JST - 21st May

rjd_jr: "Finally, some other country besides Japan hunting whales and getting attention"

They have this to say:

"The government has given permission for 40 minke whales to be hunted for their meat over the next six months, amid condemnation from environment groups."

At least they're not pretending it's 'science', and I'll bet they're fishing close to their own waters, not in others' sanctuaries. You have absolutely no grounds on which to defend Japan on their stance. Every single one of their arguments for whaling has been harpooned various times over.
nonacnon at 08:20 PM JST - 21st May

Japan is not pretending it is science. They have to do scientific research to hunt whales. Japan wants to hunt without the science bit. Countries who vote against Japan are not doing their jobs at IWC. Iceland carried out a scientific research programme before going commercial. Once IWC finds the stock estimates then countries can start hunting whales using whaling management scheme programmes such as RMP. Therfore since the whales Japan hunt is off the Red List countries who vote against Japan is not doing their jobs at IWC. As long as the growth rate is bigger than the whales hunted then the hunt is sustainable. The anti whaling hysteria from the Anglo Saxon countries namely UK, Australia and New Zealand is making them look bad. Not only do they show contempt for science but also a contempt for cultures who eat whale meat. This is a very imperialistic view. Telling other people what food is acceptable to eat and what is not.
usaexpat at 11:49 PM JST - 21st May

Funny, I don't hear nearly as much outcry as I did in regards to Japan's whaling season. Whatever, animals are here for our use as long as they can be harvested sustainably.
spudman at 12:50 AM JST - 22nd May

nonacnon Are you telling the Maori people of New Zealand they are Anglo Saxon? Get your facts straight before painting everyone with your racially slanted views. "This is a very imperialistic view". No imposing a culture on an ocean 1,000s of kilometers away and calling it historic culture is imperialism, check out what imperialism means it usually involves spreading geographically which is the Japanese nationalist's tactic. Japan needs to keep it's traditions to itself!
OssanULTRA at 02:11 AM JST - 22nd May

Remarkable that an article about Iceland and whaling, which makes no mention of Japan wghatsoever, is sufficient to cause people to write anti-Japan posts. I have always held that there was always a racist element to this anti-whaling thing and I'm almost always proven right. BTW, where are those Sea Sheperd people? Are they off the coast of Iceland yet?
spudman at 08:54 AM JST - 22nd May

Ossan Pt might be about location. The Icelanders are smart enough to do it in their own backyard. Maybe the Japanese could learn something about low profile whaling but that wouldn't stir the blood of the nationalists as much as a fleet sailing out on an expedition would. pure politics in the disguise of culture.
ihope2eatwhales at 10:28 AM JST - 22nd May

spudman, Please see the following regarding Maori people's views on whaling:

http://www.asyura.com/0601/ishihara10/msg/195.html

New Zealand is known as an anti-whaling nation at the International Whaling Commission. Maori do not support this view. Maori have on numerous occasions supported the sustainable utilization of whales by other indigenous peoples and coastal communities. In November 2000, Maori invited and hosted the General Assembly of the World Council of Whalers that met in Nelson, New Zealand.

Also, please note Iceland is being threatened economically now because they catch whales even off their own coast line. Some people pretend that if Japan would do the same, they would not be harrassed by the crazy foreigners so much. This is a ruse, as we see in Iceland's case.
nonacnon at 12:13 PM JST - 22nd May

The ancient Maori practice of utilising stranded whales endured throughout the colonial period, but was made illegal in 1978 with the introduction of the Marine Mammals Protection Act.

While seeking to protect marine mammals, including stranded whales, the Act is seen by Maori as another attempt to extinguish their customary and Treaty rights to whales, by making it illegal to utilise them. Not only is access to meat, oil, bone and teeth lost, but the customary practices, or one primary vehicle for the transmission of traditional knowledge from generation to generation, is severed.

http://teohu.maori.nz/

Japan is hunting in international waters. Any country has a right to do so if they wish.
ihope2eatwhales at 12:31 PM JST - 22nd May

Japan is hunting in international waters. Any country has a right to do so if they wish.

It is good for such nations to cooperate together and ensure the safeness of their whale catching. Because the oil-greedy nations wishing to fuel their industrial revolutions in the past failed to do so, today it is we who hope to eat whales that suffer. We can not forget this lesson, and make sure our children can also enjoy whale as we do.
nonacnon at 01:21 PM JST - 22nd May

Anti whale of today is driven by racism, culture imperialism and a contempt for science. Iceland is not exactly known as a country which pollutes the world or show disregard to the environment globally. Neither are the whales they catch endangered. Now why it is wrong to utilize a natural renewable resources is something I will never understand.

Whaling pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedromadruga/2495829360/in/pool-whaling/

Whaling is environmental friendly

The use of selective equipment to catch marine fish and mammals is perhaps the most environmentally-sound way of producing food for human consumption today: the environment remains unaffected, energy use is low in relation to yield, and there is no pollution from fertilisers, pesticides or other chemicals. All harvesting must of course be carried out within reasonable limits, so that stocks are not driven to extinction.

http://www.emb-norway.ca/facts/general/whaling/whaling.htm

With increased environmental awareness and abundant whale stocks, the future for whaling looks bright. A victory for tolerance and common sense.
cleo at 02:06 PM JST - 22nd May

nonacnon -

The photo that comes up with your first link is hardly the kind of shot that helps sell whaling to the masses. Bodies with gaping cuts, piled on top of each other, the sea a bright red colour....

Your second link tells us why whaling is not and never will be acceptable - around 10 per cent of the animals survive the first strike and must be killed by another shot or by a rifle shot to the head. This figure assumes that all those animals that 'stop moving' are dead, although there is no way of knowing whether an animal is simply paralysed and suffering.

The methods used by Norwegian whalers today for killing minke whales are probably the most strictly monitored and best registered methods used in any big-game hunting in the world.

Whales are 'game'??

The methods used in Norwegian whaling also compare favourably to those used for livestock in slaughterhouses. If that's true - with at least one in five animals needing a second shot - then Norwegian slaughterhouses are a scandal.