Commercial whaling in Iceland could be banned within two years, after a iceland minister said there was little justification for the practice. The Northern European country, an island in the North Atlantic, is one of the few places to allow whale hunting. But demand for the mammal’s meat has decreased dramatically since Japan-Iceland’s main market-resumed commercial whaling in 2019. Iceland’s Fisheries Minister says whaling is no longer profitable. “Why should Iceland take the risk of keeping up whaling, which has not brought any economic gain, in order to sell a product for which there is hardly any demand? ”Svandis Svavarsdottir” wrote on 04 February, 2022 in the Morgan-bladed newspaper.
Iceland’s not recent annual quotas allow for the hunting of 209 fin whales, which are considered endangered and 217 minke whales – one of the smaller species. But Ms. Svavarsdottir, a Member of the Left- Green Movement, said the fact that only one whale had been killed in the past three years showed that the practice had little economic benefit for the country. She said this would be a key factor in the decision over whether to extend whaling beyond 2023.
When Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after a three decade hiatus,it caused a significant drop in demand for Iceland’s whale exports, making hunting less profitable. Other factors have also made whaling more challenging. Social distancing rules made Icelandic whale meat processing plants less efficient, and the extension of a no-fishing coastal zone pushes up the cost of whale hunting. Ms Svavarsdottir also said that Iceland’s whaling activities can have a negative impact on the economy, for example, the US based chain World Foods stopped marketing Icelandic products when commercial whaling resumed there in 2006.
The news has been welcomed by campaigners who have been calling for an end to whaling in lceland for many years. This is obviously hugely welcome news & not before time. Icelandic whalers have killed hundreds of whales in recent years, despite almost zero domestic demand, said Vaness Williams Grey of the U K Charity Whale & Dolphin Conservation. Other whale related industries are now more successful in Iceland,with hundreds of thousands of whale watchers visiting the Island in 2019, hoping to catch a glimpse of the marine mammals. This is welcome development for the tourism industry. At present Iceland, Norway & Japan are the only countries that permit commercial whaling.
2024 Will Be The End Of Iceland’s Whale Hunting
Latest from News
Illinois Bans Four High-Risk Food Additives: Statewide Enforcement Begins 2027
Illinois state senators approved legislation on Thursday to ban several food additives that have been found to cause adverse health effects. The Illinois Food Safety Act, introduced by State Senator Willie Preston
Dubai Swamped: Record Rainfall of 6.26 Inches Cripples World’s Busiest Airport
Generally, deserts have very scanty rainfall. But on April 16, 2024, Dubai, the commercial capital of UAE, was in floods. The world’s busiest air hub for international passengers, Dubai’s major International Airport
Norfolk Southern to Pay $600 Million in Class Action Lawsuit for East Palestine Derailment in Ohio
Railroad company Norfolk Southern has offered to pay $600 million after the derailment of one of its trains in Ohio in February 2023, if the amount is approved by a court, it
Sahara Dust Storm Sweeps Europe: PM10 Levels Skyrocket, Health Alerts Issued
An “exceptional” amount of Sahara dust has been crossing Western Europe from south to north since Saturday, negatively affecting air quality, warned the European monitoring agency Copernicus on Monday, April 8. This
Champaran’s Liquid Gold: Goat Milk Soap Industry Booms with ₹9 Lakh Monthly Turnover
We use milk mainly to drink and it is used to make tea/coffee. But it can also be used to make eco-friendly soap. Mahatma Gandhi vouched for goat milk. Now villagers in
Stadler’s FLIRT H2 Crushes Guiness World Record: 1,741-Mile Journey Without Refuel
Stadler is pleased to announce its entry into the Guinness World Records database. The FLIRT H2 set the world record for the longest distance traveled by a hydrogen-powered passenger train without refueling
Boeing Battles Production Woes and Safety Scandals: CEO to Depart Amidst Turbulence
The American aircraft manufacturer Boeing has been accumulating various production problems and incidents with operational aircraft for over a year, leading to the opening of wide-ranging audits and investigations, and resulting in
Ratnagiri’s 12,000-Year-Old Geoglyphs Clash with Industrial Oil Refinery Ambitions of India
The Bombay High Court issued a notice to both the Center and the State on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) aimed at protecting ancient rock art petroglyphs and geoglyphs in the Konkan
Catalonia’s Water Crisis Hits Historic Lows: Over 6 Million Facing Unprecedented Restrictions
Waste water will be recycled in California as the drought conditions arise, following it, Spain declares drought emergency in its Northeastern region of Catalonia. Following three years of below-average rainfall, Catalonia has
Kansai International Airport’s $20 Billion Sinking Dilemma: 11 Meters Down in 30 Years
An enormous dilemma has emerged for Kansai International Airport, an engineering marvel and important hub in Japan: it is sinking. Built for almost $20 billion, this airport is located in Osaka Bay
ASER 2023 Report: 86% of Rural Youth in Schools, Yet Basic Math Challenges Persist Despite 43.7% Boys with Smartphones
Released in New Delhi on January 17, 2024, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2023, titled “Beyond Basics,” provides a critical analysis of the educational environment for Indian children in rural
WHO Report Unveils: 8 Million Annual Deaths Linked to Tobacco Use Amid Global Decline
Tobacco use is estimated to kill at least 8 million people per annum, as stated in the WHO (World Health Organization) latest tobacco trends report released on Monday, 17 January 2024. There
Mumbai’s Medical Meltdown: Over 200 Pharmacies Operating Without Pharmacists
India is the largest populated country. Out of around one and a half billion people, at least a billion need some kind of medical aid. This is provided by thousands of doctors
California Approves New Standards for Sewage-to-Tap Water Recycling Amidst Growing Water Scarcity
Many nations in the global south suffer from water shortage; but in an advanced country like the USA, famine is affecting many regions. California, famous for fruit production, has been facing famine
Mackenzie River Influence on Arctic Ocean Carbon Emissions: A Detailed Analysis
The Arctic Ocean is experiencing extreme carbon dioxide emissions due to runoff from one of the biggest rivers in North America. The world’s smallest ocean is more powerful than what it weighs