2023-09-02 18:26:46
Between “strict” regulations and great controversy, Iceland resumed whaling after two months of suspension of this practice condemned by environmentalists and oceanographers. Inspections by the Food and Veterinary Authority of the Nordic country verified that more than 40% of the 58 whales studied had not died instantly but rather with prolonged suffering.
By Angelica Perez
Although a significant part of the Icelandic population is opposed, many members of the Nordic country’s Parliament support whaling. While the Green Left Party advocates a ban, other lawmakers see it as a matter of national sovereignty.
Interviewed by Radio France International, Carlos Bravo Villa Marine Policy representative of the ONG OceanCare explains the reasons why environmentalists and oceanographers oppose this practice.
Carlos BravoVilla: We are against it because of the ecological importance that all cetaceans have in the marine ecosystem. They are very intelligent animals or sentient animals and it is still a species that is considered vulnerable on the red list of endangered species and therefore it is unacceptable that some supposedly civilized countries like Iceland continue to carry out this cruel and totally practice. unacceptable.
Of the 148 whales that were killed in the country during the year 2022, 58 were analyzed and of those samples analyzed by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, more than 40% were found not to have died instantly, but to have suffered for quite some time. . Two whales had to be finished off. One took almost over an hour to kill and the other two hours, anyway. This was clearly in breach of Iceland’s own Animal Welfare Act. That is why the Icelandic government decided to make a temporary suspension and this August 31 had to make a decision on whether to renew the suspension or lift it and allow whaling. And the latter is what has unfortunately happened, although the Icelandic government has announced some slightly stricter requirements.
RFI: Within the new “strict” regulations announced, it is stipulated that hunting take place within 25 meters of the boat, that it be only in daylight, that calves do not participate, that it respect specific equipment and methods. And electricity is prohibited. How do you evaluate these measures?
Carlos Bravo Villa We highly doubt that on the high seas and without surveillance, Icelandic whalers will meet those criteria. Plus, it’s a one-person industry that owns two boats and insists on continuing to whale. The truth is that we are afraid that what will happen is that he is going to take advantage of these remaining weeks to be able to hunt whales, just in case, at the end of the year, when the Icelandic government has to decide again if it is going to give a quota to whalers or not. Now he’s going to try to catch as many whales as he can, make a huge kill to try and secure an income.
RFI: What are the hunted whales used for, what industry does this go to and what kind of cetaceans are hunted in Iceland?
Carlos Bravo Villa: In Iceland, fin and white whales are mainly hunted to sell them as meat, especially in some markets such as Japan. And there may also be a certain amount of consumption locally in Iceland. These countries say that they hunt the whales for supposedly scientific purposes, but this has been shown to be absolutely false. There is much evidence that shows that when the meat of these whales arrives at port, handled, it goes to be sold in the markets.
Iceland, Norway, Japan, are the only countries that practice commercial whaling.
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