News:
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) - Iceland broke a global moratorium on commercial whaling, killing an endangered fin whale for the first time since the 1980s, local media reported Sunday.
Iceland’s RUV television showed footage of a large fin whale being towed by a whaling boat. It said the whale was harpooned in the north Atlantic about 200 miles west of Iceland.
Source: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061023/D8KU2RP00.html
Views:
Although I’m not exactly sure that I’d want to eat whale in the first place, I see no real problem with Iceland’s decision to allow limited commercial whaling. Provided they severely punish those killing whales without licenses, thus allowing for sustainable populations to remain, there is really no downside to the decision.
I understand that endangered species need to be protected, but there are plenty of other animals that need more protection than whales. Scientists estimate only 1,500 Giant Pandas remain in the wild and around five to ten Northern White Rhinoceroses. According to the article, Iceland’s territorial waters alone have 43,000 minke and 25,000 fin whales - plenty to allow some minuscule whaling. Look at the numbers: nine fin and 30 minke whales are no more than 7/100 of one percent of the population in Iceland alone. I am not an expert, but it seems to me that so little a percentage is easily replaced be new calves.
Beyond the numbers, one must also look at the cultural significance of whaling in places like Iceland. Going back 1000 years and perhaps more, the Vikings tradition has included whaling. Why should exceptions be granted to Native American tribes and not other cultures with whaling ingrained - such as that of Iceland? I’d like to see a liberal give a good argument against that.
Regardless of everything else, it is my belief that international law has no real authority for regulating activities such as whaling that have no real impact/pose no real threat to other countries. Pollution, NBC weapons programs, genocide, acts of war, gross human rights violations; things like these are all valid reasons for international laws. In my mind, saving a whale (which is seemingly not all that endangered in Iceland) should not.
All I have left to say is thank goodness the International Whaling Commission has no apparent legal power and best of luck for Iceland in joining the elite club of whaling nations.
Common Sense:
Iceland and her fishing (er, whaling) vessels should be very careful of Green Peace and other environmental groups. It’s a sad reality, but violence and/or terrorism against whaling ships would not surprise me in the least.