For the second consecutive year, there will be no whaling in Iceland due to both export difficulties and the coronavirus pandemic
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himFor the second consecutive year, there will be no whaling in Iceland. This time, both for export difficulties and for the coronavirus pandemic that has blocked the Japanese company that has long been in the country, gives life to a real slaughter.
In 2019 we had already celebrated it stop hunting, now comes this good news. To communicate it is the association Sea Shepherd Iceland who shares the announcement on social media explaining that Iceland's only whaling company has given up the season.
—-English below—- No whaling takes place in Iceland for the second year in a row. Hvalur hf. claims that since Japan…
Posted by Sea Shepherd Iceland on Friday, April 24, 2020
Interviewed by the local newspaper Morgunbladid, the CEO of Hvalur hf, Kristjan Loftsson, explained that the decision was made due to strong competition from Japan, which as we know is the main market for whale meat. But not only that, hunting implies not being able to maintain the distance imposed by the coronavirus emergency. Furthermore, the pandemic is making it difficult to process whale meat, which requires closeness among workers.
In 2018, the last summer of whaling in Icelandic waters, 146 whales and six minke whales were killed. Recall, however, that in 2019 there were several reasons why the hunt was not carried out regularly: the first because although whale meat is considered a delicacy, about two thirds of Icelanders had chosen not to consume this product, because opposed to hunting or because vegetarians; the second because new laws have been approved in the country to regulate fishing along the coasts by extending the areas off-limits to fishing.
Commercial whaling is still permitted despite the international moratorium of the International Whaling Commission, in force since 1986, to protect the species from the threat of extinction, while in Japan whales can be killed under the pretext of using them for scientific purposes.
Sources: Morgunbladid / RUV
Read also:
- Whaling: Iceland wants to kill over two thousand
- Japan resumes whaling: an endless slaughter
- Norway kills more whales than Japan and Iceland combined
