Whale taken in whale watching area
Posted by at 8:37 PM,
September 16, 2003
We just received alarming news from Abbi (the manager of the Whale Centre who we met in Húsavík). According to him, yesterday the whaling boat Njordur was found taking on board a minke they had just killed - inside a whale watching area.
According to Abbi, both Iceland's Fisheries Minister and members of the Marine Research Institute had stated that no whales would be killed inside the whale watching areas, and that whale watching companies would be called before any whales were taken near whale watching areas.
A whale watching boat was on the way to the location with 16 officials from tour operators around the world - looking forward to seeing whales in their natural environment - but the boat turned back once it got word of the take.
This incident highlights the problems with trying to be both a whale watching, and a whale hunting nation. And while, for all we know, it may have been a simple mistake on the whalers part, it still raises questions of credibility. If this year, only 38 whales are being taken, why was even one (that we know of) taken in an off limits area? However, at the least, an explanation by the Fisheries Minister is called for.
-- Andrew
