GALLERY OF WORKS
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Unlike Norway, Iceland did not lodge an objection against the IWC moratorium,
which came into force in 1986. Between 1986 and 1989 around 60 animals per year
were taken under a scientific permit. However, under strong pressure from
anti-whaling countries, viewing scientific whaling as a circumvention of the
moratorium, Iceland ceased whaling altogether in 1989. Following the 1991
refusal of the IWC to accept its Scientific Committee's recommendation to allow
sustainable commercial whaling, Iceland left the IWC in 1992.
Iceland rejoined the IWC in 2002 with a reservation to the moratorium. This
reservation is not recognized by anti-whaling countries. In 2003 Iceland resumed
scientific whaling. Iceland presented a feasibility study to the 2003 IWC
meeting to take 100 Minke, 100 Fin, and 50 Sei in each of 2003 and 2004. The
primary aim of the study was to deepen the understanding of fish-whale
interactions - the strongest advocates for a resumed hunt are fisherman
concerned that whales are taking too many fish. The hunt was supported by
three-quarters of the Icelandic population. Amid concern from the IWC Scientific
Committee about the value of the research and its relevance to IWC objectives
("Recent Icelandic Proposal" at the
International Whaling Commission website), no decision on the proposal was
reached. However under the terms of the convention the Icelandic government
issued permits for a scientific catch. In 2003, Iceland took 36 Minke Whales
from a quota of 38. In 2004, it took 25 whales (the full quota). In 2005, the
government issued a permit for a third successive year - allowing whalers to
take up to 39 whales.
Iceland resumed commercial whaling in 2006. The annual quota is set to 30
Minke Whales (out of an estimated 174,000 animals in the North Atlantic
and nine Fin Whales (out of an estimated 30,000 animals in the North Atlantic .
Iceland broke the IWC ban on commercial whaling on
22 October
2006 after
Icelandic fishermen killed a sixty ton female Fin Whale.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaling
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