Proposed law could give new Icelandic minister ability to stop whaling
A proposed change to Iceland's whaling law could give the Minster of Fisheries the unilateral right to end whaling if he deems it contrary to the nation's interests. This would be a fine thing indeed, if, of course, the next minister should choose to use this power to actually end whaling. But we don't know who he or she will be yet. Iceland's parliamentary election is scheduled for April 25th.
We've actually made this a very simple question. By signing up more than 115,000 people who have pledged to visit Iceland if whaling stops, we've put $US 117 million in potential tourist income on the table, as against a whaling industry that raked in only $US 4 million a year in its heyday.
As someone who has been to Iceland, and watched whales breaching beneath the midnight sun from a hotspring on a hill overlooking the sea, I can say pretty categorically where Iceland's national interest lies: Whales are worth more alive than dead. You can choose to have a couple of guys make a few bucks by killing them, or you can revitalize your economy by inviting the world to come watch them.
Translation of article from Morgunblaðið from 08.04.2009
The Minister of Fisheries can stop or ban whaling if he believes that whaling in general or on specific whale species could have a negative impact on the nation’s overall interests.This is the content of an intended change in the Icelandic whaling law. There it is particularly pointed out that the minister keeps those powers without having to consider the Icelandic Marine Reseach Institute’s recommendations. Final decisions can therefore be made by the minister by interpreting information on the nation’s vested interests.
The bill will not be presented to the parliament before the elections. Those who then will be in the minister’s bench will decide on it and it if goes any further.
In its first article, the whale stocks are called being in the nation’s ownership and that the bill aims at protecting them in the same time as assuring their profitable and responsible exploitation.
It was not possible to get Kristján Loftsson, director of Hvalur hf., to talk on his opinion on the bill. Friðrik J. Arngrímsson, executive director of LÍÚ, had not found the time to introduce himself to the bill.
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