Whalers Bloody Iceland's Waters and International Reputation With First Wh

[Judi Lynn]

Whalers Bloody Iceland's Waters and International Reputation With First Whale Kill

10/21/2006 4:46:00 PM

REYKJAVIK, Iceland, Oct. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The crew of an Icelandic whaling ship has reported killing a fin whale today - the first of nine fin whales and 30 minke whales to be hunted under government issued permits issued last week. International outcry continues to build against the government of Iceland's decision to resume commercial whaling after a 20-year hiatus - with the U.K., U.S., France, Australia, New Zealand and the E.U. issuing public statements. Whale experts with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare – http://www.ifaw.org ) have also criticized the government for supporting whaling.

The whaling ship, owned by prominent Icelandic businessman Kristjan Loftsson, is expected to arrive tomorrow morning at Hvalfjordur (Whale Fjord), a small inlet with a dock used by whalers in Iceland's whaling days. The country's sole whale meat processing factory, built during World War II, is currently inoperable. It is expected that the large fin whale will be flensed in the open at Hvalfjordur.

Fin whales are endangered under IUCN guidelines and second only to the blue whale in terms of size -- growing to average lengths of 18-22m and weights of 30-80 tons. They were hunted in significant numbers by whalers in the past, and their population figures are currently unknown.

Fin whales are not historically consumed by Icelanders, increasing speculation that Iceland intends to trade the meat internationally with Japan. This would contravene current regulations of the U.N Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), which bans the international trade of all great whale species.
(snip/...)

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=74769

[judaspriestess]

1. sheesh, first dolphins now whales

whats next? panda bears with China? Once again humans reproduce like maggots eat everything in sight while many animals are on the verge of distinction

disgusting.

[judaspriestess]

3. whoops past edit

I meant Extinction

[pretzel4gore]

2. psyche ops....

there's no gain for iceland to do this - much like canada and its seal hunt. yet they do it. it's called stalinism; and while uncle joe was running a monster nation of hundred plus million, and used a sledgehammer instead of a feather duster to knock it into shape (russia put men into space, developed nuke bomb and survived for decades despite almost universal efforts to destroy it; stalin made dissent hidden away) these psyche ops guys do it precisely cuz it pisses off the animal right's people, the anti war people, liberals and the leftist set etc. And by design, what pisses us off is thus defended/promoted by the rightwing loony element...iow it's 'win win' situ for the pig. That's the ONLY reason....

[Beaverhausen]

4. Monday kick

[Mike Daniels]

5. Time for the whales to take a cue from the one that sank the Essex

[Johnyawl]

6. Nice thought, but the reality is the Essex was a wooden ship..

...all the modern whalers are steel.

We need to sink those ourselves.

[noonwitch]

7. I thought the Whalers were bloodying the ice in Carolina these days

Sorry, couldn't resist the opportunity for a hockey joke.

[The Stranger]

8. No recommendations?