WSPA is speaking out against Iceland's recent announcement that they will resume commercial whaling in defiance of a 20-year international whaling ban. 

WSPA and the WSPA-run Whalewatch Coalition have called the decision a blatant disregard for the cruelty of modern whaling that has the potential to threaten endangered whale species.

Despite Iceland's Ministry of Fisheries statement that the planned catches will only involve abundant stocks and are linked to Iceland's overall policy of sustainable utilization of marine resources, its hunt quota for 2006/2007 includes nine endangered fin whales.

In recent years Iceland has also refused to submit any data on whale killing methods and times to death to the International Whaling Commission, claiming that its whaling operations are too small for the data to be of value.

“Regardless of the nature, size or sustainability of its whaling operation, the indisputable fact is that whaling is both unnecessary and cruel,” said Virág Kaufer, WSPA's Campaigns Manager on behalf of Whalewatch.

She added that Whalewatch also believes that there is a real fear Iceland will try to expand its sale of whale meat to other countries, a move that would be in violation of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) that banned the international trade in all fin and minke whale products.

Take Action
 
Please help the coalition to protect whales by sending a polite letter to the Iceland Embassy urging them to reverse their decision to resume commercial whaling. Encourage them to respect the international moratorium on commercial whaling and let them know that you will not be visiting Iceland until they stop killing whales.
 
Send your letter to:
 
Embassy of Iceland
1156 15th Street N.W., Suite 1200
Washington DC 20005-1704
Email: icemb.wash@mfa.is

Click here to read more about WSPA's work on behalf of marine mammals around the world.

Click here to read more about the Whalewatch Coalition.