For nations who still engage in bullfighting, rodeo etc. it is absolutely ridiculous to oppose whaling on emotional grounds.
But with reserves of unsold whale meat mounting and a minuscule market for the meat, it is quite reasonable to oppose whaling on economic grounds. The business case has always been puzzling, but it might not be a question of money for meat but something more real-political.
The real reason why Iceland is still whaling is because politicians and businessmen who want nothing to do with Iceland in the EU find it convenient.
Outgoing fisheries minister Einar K. Gudfinnsson of the Independence Party poured the poisoned chalice on his last day in office before his government was chased out by its citizens for general ineptitude. The Left Greens inherited the ministry and have not reversed the course. The current fisheries minister Jon Bjarnason is a staunch anti-EU politician.
The guardians of the old system do not let go so easily.
Iceland’s whaling is going to lead to confrontation in membership talks with the EU. The EU is going to demand that Iceland stop hunting whales and the anti-EU lobby is going to shout from every rooftop about lost sovereignty and a bullying empire when it does.
And that is why Icelanders still hunt whales.
And confuse them with fish like Kristjan Loftsson, the primary whaling lobbyist:
“Whales are just another fish”
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Blubber
1 year ago
The big difference is that rodeo and bullfighting, IMHO, are exercised in the same way today as they were a hundred years ago. If the traditionalists were out there with rowboats and manual harpoons, then sure, go ahead. But the modern whaling practice is nothing at all like the traditional.
That said, let me make clear that I don’t have any weird soft spot for whales and Iceland is hardly the biggest threat to their existence.
It’s just a dumb waste of money and time as well as bad PR.
Sadly, you are most likely right about how this is going to be used against joining the EU.
Lino
1 year ago
I’m ignorant of icelandic matters: if “reserves of unsold whale meat mounting and a minuscule market for the meat”, why hunting for more?
To preserve jobs? At what cost and especially, who’s paying? For how long (jobs, paying)?
Am I missing sometihng?
Dadi
1 year ago
That is the question Lino, who is really paying and at what cost?