Without warning the Icelandic government authorized Icelandic whalers to begin their killing on May 20th in direct defiance of the global moratorium on commercial whaling. Iceland has rejoined the trinity of whale killing nations along with Japan and Norway. The three rogue whale killing nations have thumbed their noses at the international community to continue a criminal barbaric practice that has been outlawed under international law.
Also on the newswire: Norway Starts Whale Hunting Season
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Minke meat served in an Icelandic restaurant. Photo by flickr.com/ccgd
Yesterday, Asda Einarsdottir, a spokesperson for Iceland's Ministry of Fisheries reported that 40 Piked whales (Minkes) will be killed. The good news is that they will not be targeting Fin whales. "Minke sashimi is a quite popular starter in Reykjavik restaurants," Einarsdottir said.
Iceland’s contempt for world opinion is underscored by the fact that last year they announced the end to whaling operations, stating that there were no markets for whale meat. This allowed the public to be taken in by a blatant lie. "That announcement was nothing more than a calculated lie in an attempt to repair damage to Iceland’s reputation," said Captain Paul Watson, who has been opposing the hunt for many years. "The Icelandic whaling industry is a criminal operation supported by government lies and corruption. The civilized world needs to boycott all things Icelandic including tourism, Icelandic sweaters and Icelandic vodka. It’s appropriate that Icelandic vodka is labeled 'black death'. This is a nation that inflicts suffering and death illegally on defenseless sentient beings."
In 2007, The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society undertook "Operation Ragnarok" which included sending their ship Farley Mowat to Iceland to disrupt Icelandic whaling activities. The voyage was cut short when the ship which had departed from Australia stopped in Bermuda. Iceland had announced that they would end whaling operations which ended the necessity for the Farley Mowat to continue on to Iceland. The Farley Mowat is currently Armed Canadian Coast Guard Storms Conservation Vesselunder seizure in Eastern Canada and not in a position for us to take it to Iceland immediately. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is looking at a strategic response to Iceland’s illegal actions which at this point cannot include direct intervention for practical reasons.
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