News
Sustainable whaling
Press Release by the
Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries
The Icelandic Minister of Fisheries has today issued catch limits regarding sustainable whaling during the fishing year 2006/2007, which ends on August 31 2007.
None of the planned catches involve any endangered or threatened stocks of whales. They only involve abundant stocks and are linked to Iceland’s overall policy of sustainable utilisation of marine resources.
The total stock size of Central North-Atlantic minke whales is close to 70,000 animals, of which around 43,600 are in Icelandic coastal waters. Fin whales in the Central North-Atlantic number around 25,800 animals. Both these estimates have been agreed upon by consensus by the Scientific Committees of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO).
The decision involves takes of 30 minke whales and 9 fin whales, during the fishing year 2006/2007 which ends on August 31 2007. This will bring the total catches of minke whales in Icelandic waters during this fishing year to 69, including the minke whales taken in completing the research plan which Iceland has been implementing since 2003.
These takes equal less than 0.2% of the number of minke whales in Icelandic coastal waters, an even smaller fraction of the total stock, and less than 0.04% of fin whales in the Central North Atlantic. Both are considered to be close to pre-exploitation levels and estimated sustainable annual catch levels are 200 and 400 fin and minke whales, respectively. As the catch limits now issued are much lower, the catches will not have a significant impact on the abundant whale stocks. A responsible management system will insure that the catch quotas set will not be exceeded. The catches are clearly sustainable and therefore consistent with the principle of sustainable development.
Iceland is one of several countries that catch whales. Of those who, like Iceland, operate within the IWC the biggest whaling countries by numbers and volume are the United States, Russia, Norway, Japan and Greenland. Like Iceland's, all those whaling operations are sustainable and legal and in accordance with the rules of the IWC.
Attached are two information documents. One is a declaration by the Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries, regarding the resumption of sustainable whaling in Iceland. The other is an information paper containing some questions and answers regarding the same subject.
The Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries, October 17 2006