As Icelandic whalers continue their hunt in the North Atlantic, the Major of Reykjavik will visit London's Globe Theatre tonight (24th September) to promote Reykjavik as a tourist destination (1). Greenpeace and IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) will be outside the Globe distributing leaflets and urging the Mayor to add his voice to those calling on the Icelandic government to end whaling in favour of promoting Iceland as a whale watching and nature tourism destination.
The Greenpeace flagship the Rainbow Warrior ended a two-week tour of Iceland at Reykjavik this Sunday (21st September). During the tour 'open ship' days were held at six ports, including Reykjavik, Husavik, which is the centre of the island's whale watching industry, and the whaling port of Isafjordur. During the tour Icelandic whale watching industry boats joined the Rainbow Warrior in a show of solidarity. Whale watching and tourism operators have been urging the government to review their decision:
IFAW has been supporting and helping to develop the whale watching industry in Iceland since it started in 1994. It launched a campaign earlier this summer to urge Iceland to go whale watching not whaling and sent representatives to Iceland immediately after whaling resumed last month. IFAW representatives are working closely with partners in Iceland and engaging in dialogue to call for a rapid halt to whaling.
Asbjorn Bjorgvinsson, Chairman of the Whale Watching Association of Iceland (WWAI) said: "There is no evidence that whaling and whale-watching can co-exist. The friendly minkes would be the first to be killed as they often approach the whale-watching boats and so would also approach the whaling boats. Whaling could therefore damage many years of friendly encounters with minkes around Iceland."
Fridrik Sigurdsson head of the Husavik Marketing Council said, "I want to send a short message to the government: Stop whaling and don't start again. Whale watching is extremely important to us but it is impossible to expand when we do such a thing as whale hunting. For us in Husavik it could be a disaster."
Whale watching has been a major growth industry in Iceland over recent years and an estimated 40% of visitors to Iceland now go whale-watching during the summer season. The industry is estimated to have generated US$10-12 million in 2002, and is forecast to pull in between US$ 23million and US$ 36million in 2007 (2).
Tourism overall has grown to become Iceland's second largest form of foreign income after fish exports and the Icelandic Tourist Industry Association has raised concerns that whaling "would cause great damage to the Icelandic tourist industry."(3). The UK is the third most important tourist market for Iceland, 10% of tourists having overnight stays in Iceland were from the UK. In 2002, 42,000 visitors from the UK went to Iceland. The other important tourist markets for Iceland are Germany (13 %) and the US (11 %).
Some European tour operators have already expressed concern to the Icelandic government in a statement saying 'Many people feel strongly that whale watching is not compatible with whaling and it is likely that they would reconsider visiting Iceland if whaling was once more to be conducted in Icelandic waters' (4). In addition the US government has threatened to impose trade sanctions on Icelandic fish products in response to the Icelandic Government decision. Iceland stopped its previous whaling programme in 1989 as a result of an international boycott of Icelandic fish.
Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner Willie Mackenzie said, "The tour has been a real success. It's aim was to have a real dialogue with the people of Iceland, to both listen to their views and explain exactly why we believe that that resumption of whaling is not sustainable".
"We've had some really good reactions, people are very interested to hear more about the benefits of expanding their whale watching industry and nature tourism. They must now decide whether they want whaling or whale watching - they can't have both".
IFAW campaigner, Gill Sanders, said, "Iceland is an incredibly beautiful country which has nothing to gain and everything to lose by going whaling. With such outstanding wildlife and stunning landscapes, the path to sustainable economic growth clearly lies in ecotourism but green tourists will stay away if whaling continues".
Greenpeace is urging its members world-wide to seriously consider taking a nature tour of Iceland if the Government of Iceland stops whaling. IFAW is urging its 1.3 million global supporters to send polite messages of protest to Icelandic embassies around the world, while continuing to support whale watching in Iceland.
NOTES
(1) "The Mayor of Reykyavik Thorolfur Arnason will appear at "Reykjavik Pure Energy" with performances by Icelandic artists throughout the evening at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (Underground Venue - Exhibition Entrance), 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London, SE1 9DT.
Nearest tube: London Bridge
Date: Wednesday Sept 24th
Time: 6.30-9.00pm.
(2) Source: "Economic perspectives of whale watching" by Geir Oddsson for Lanmat International (2003).
(3) In 1999, the Icelandic Tourist Industry Association, whose members account for around 80-90% of Iceland's turnover from tourism, said that a resumption of whaling in opposition to the agreements of the International Whaling Commission "would cause great damage to the Icelandic tourist industry." It commented at its April 2003 meeting "Whale-watching has become one of the most popular tourist activities in Iceland, providing considerable income for the economy, as well as creating a very positive image for Iceland."
(4) abenteuerteam.com Reisen, Ag Traveltrend, Colibri Umweltreisen, Discover the World/Artic Experience, Elke Kaune Reisen, Explore Worldwide Ltd Heidi Glur Reisebüro , Hotelplan AG, Internationale Nordland Touristik, Island Erlebnisreisen, Kneissl Touristik GmbH, Kon-Tiki Tours, Naturetrek, Nordisch Reisen AG, SET Reisen GmbH, Spitsee Touristik, Suntrek, TCS Reisen, Troll Tours Reisen GmbH, Trottomundo AG, TUI AG. (Source: WDCS: www.wdcs.org).
For more information contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255
