Iceland kills 93 fin whales according to conservationists
Europe’s largest slaughter of fin whales for decades was carried out this summer with 93 of the endangered species killed by Iceland according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
The conservation group said at least 93 endangered fin whales were killed this summer, more than at any time since an international ban on commercial whaling was brought in more than 20 years ago. In addition 63 minke whales were killed making it the largest commercial whale hunt in North Atlantic waters for decades. The meat and blubber from the whales may yield a staggering two million kilograms of edible products, the charity said. Kate O’Connell, of the WDCS, said the slaughter will reflect badly on Iceland at a time when the country is trying to recover from the recession and become part of the European Union. “There is simply no way that so much whale meat and blubber can be consumed domestically, and the whalers are deluding themselves if they think they can make any money exporting whale meat to Japan,” she said. “Sales of whale products in Japan have made financial losses for much of the last 20 years, and market demand there has dropped. Iceland’s whaling policy seems as ill-founded as its economic policies have been.”
