iceland
Posted by Willie — 25 April 2010 at 9:59am
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If you’ve seen the media reports on whales over the past couple of weeks, you could be forgiven for thinking that there had been some sort of historical deal done. A deal that seems to be being spun as a way to save whales, by allowing some to be hunted. Media spin aside, we’ve been keen to see the detail of what is going to be on the table for our governments at the upcoming International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in June.
Yesterday, at last, the speculation ended when the IWC published the details of a proposal on their website. The proposal is just that, a proposal. Not a deal, and certainly not a done deal. So please, view the over-effusive headlines with some care.
Last edited 2 April 2010 at 1:26pm
Rotterdam , 2 April 2010 – Greenpeace activists have chained themselves to the mooring ropes of a ship carrying an illicit cargo of whale meat to prevent it leaving the port of Rotterdam bound for Japan . The meat, from 13 endangered fin whales, is being stored in seven containers onboard the container ship NYK ORION, and is in transit from Iceland . Greenpeace is calling on the authorities to seize the containers.
Posted by Willie — 2 October 2009 at 4:53pm
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Today 26 governments made an official protest (called a 'demarche') to the Icelandic government, caliing on them to reassess their current whaling operations, and end commercial whaling.
Posted by jossc — 24 June 2009 at 2:02pm
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Sara Holden, our International whales campaign coordinator, blogs from the 61st International Whaling Conference in Madeira, Portugal. Even though for the first time in years the anti-whaling nations have a decent majority on the IWC, genuine protection for whales still remains low on the agenda.
As metaphors go, how about this? The IWC meeting is being held in a
casino - and anyone betting on a good outcome for the whales would be
unlikely to win. Equally aprt, just a few minutes before the opening of the 61st International Whaling Commission meeting, a large rat was seen scuttling through the hotel and out the door. Not a bad illustration of what's going on here.
Last edited 18 February 2009 at 5:13pm
The Icelandic government
today faced criticism from environmentalists after refusing to reverse a
last-day decision by the previous administration to recommence commercial
whaling.
On his last day in
office, former fisheries minister Einar Gudfinsson approved a quota of 100 minke
whales and 150 endangered fin whales, to be hunted each year for five
years.
The new minister,
Steingrmur Sigfusson, did not repeal the decision, but did say that whalers
should not automatically expect a quota after 2009.
Posted by Willie — 9 February 2009 at 2:27pm
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What with the effective collapse of their economy, you might be forgiven
for thinking that people in Iceland have more pressing things to worry about than whaling, and undoubtedly
you'd be right. Yet, in the midst of economic and political turmoil, whaling has been
thrust back up the agenda by the outgoing fisheries minister's parting shot - granting
a commercial whaling quota for up to 100 minke and 150 endangered fin whales per year, supposedly for export
to Japan.
He did so knowing that he wouldn't be around to have to
deal with the aftermath. It's scandalous that the Icelandic government are even
considering exporting whale meat. Lest we forget, fin whales are still
listed as endangered, meaning that trade in products from the species would generally be
illegal. Unfortunately, such is the weakness of international agreements on conservation that
a simple ‘objection'
or ‘reservation' to the listing seems to let Japan and Iceland off the
legal hook.
Posted by Willie — 9 December 2008 at 4:10pm
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While the IWC talks, the whalers are on their way back to the Southern Ocean © Greenpeace / Davison
This week, the International Whaling Commission is having an intersessional meeting in Cambridge to discuss its future. Whilst it's good news that these meetings are taking place (Greenpeace has been pushing for reform of the IWC into a body that works for the whales for many years), you have to ask yourself how much of this is just bluster.
At the same time as the international delegations are meeting, the Japanese whaling fleet is on its way to the Southern Ocean to kill whales for a bogus 'scientific' programme that is not endorsed by the IWC, and will take place in an area the IWC has designated a whale sanctuary. Despite measures to avoid confrontation at the last proper IWC meeting (which basically meant the pro-conservation countries not raising any issues that would be contentious with Japan and its allies), there has been no compromise from the whaling nations. Japan has not even officially reduced its own self-appointed quota.
Posted by Willie — 12 June 2008 at 2:06pm
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In Chile, the world's scientists are already meeting in advance of the 60th International Whaling Commission (IWC), which will be held there in late June. At this time of year, the eyes of the world turn to the deadlocked struggle between pro-conservation and pro-whaling countries as they clash over the future of whaling at the IWC meetings. And recent events have not been going well for the whalers - in recent weeks we have seen just how desperate the pro-whaling nations are to play down not only the recent scandal of stolen whale meat in Japan, but also the saga of exporting whale meat from Iceland and Norway. Both stories highlight the extent to which the whalers are routinely flouting not only international opinion but also the global ban on commercial whaling and the trading of whale meat.
Article tagged as: cetaceans, chile, cornwall, dolphins, iceland, IWC, japan, madagascar, norway, oceans, whales
Last edited 1 January 1970 at 1:00am
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Posted by jossc — 9 May 2008 at 4:05pm
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Bottom trawling, possibly the most destructive fishing method yet devised by man, is to be regulated across the whole North Atlantic ocean. The process, which involves dragging nets weight down by metal girders across the seabed, is notorious for its wastefulness. Besides legitimate target species such as cod, plaice and sole, vast quantities of corals, sponges and other deep sea creatures are destroyed as bycatch. The devastation caused is so great that Greenpeace has been calling for some time for a moritorium (suspension of activity) on bottom trawling. Now it looks as though some progress may be being made.