Comments on: Green leader does not cut Iceland whaling quota

By: Patrice

Patrice — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:05:31 +0000

One more proof that this party is not a green party. Greenpeace, we need you!!

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:35:23 +0000

Iceland is in a very difficult situation. It faces negotiations with lots of creditors and in such negotiations the sympathy factor plays an important role. To put it simply, if you owe a lot of money to a guy who is a lot bigger than you, do you think it is a good idea to piss off this guy?

By: Axel

Axel — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:26:06 +0000

If the Icesave deal goes trough the Icelandic fishing stocks will within a few years end up in the hands of the EU, the EU over exploits 90 % of its fishery’s and 30 % of them are endangered and close to be exterminated, this would mean that very soon the the Icelandic stocks will be exploited by EU country’s like France, Spain, Britain etc,
the sea here is full of whales believe it or not and they eat more than our quota pr year,
who is to say the whales are safe if the EU takes over our fishery’s and what happens to the whales once the fish is gone, whales need fish to survive just like polar bears do and seals,
the Greenpeace know this, the reason why they are not concerned with this obvious problem is that this save the whales thing is just a commercial propaganda to generate income,
sad but true, it has its income from simple people who take time every once in a while from the tv to protest something without giving it much thought, its easyer to be fed information than to be forced to use your brain, so they eat up what they are sold by Greenpeace and similar money machines,
if Greenpeace had the least bit of real interest in the whales they would be interested in preserving the fishing stocks as they are the most important part of the eco system here,
if its taken away the whole system falls,
you dont have to be a genious to see this.

By: Iceland is New Front in Whale Wars - Dot Earth Blog - NYTimes.com

Iceland is New Front in Whale Wars - Dot Earth Blog - NYTimes.com — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:56:01 +0000

[...] With Japan’s whale hunt in stormy southern seas wrapped for the season, the battle over efforts by a handful of countries to expand whale hunts has shifted to Iceland. There, Greenpeace filmmakers caught video of a whaling vessel hauling two fin whales to the pier for processing. The environmental group is trying to force the new Iceland government to cancel the whaling quota set by the previous government, which collapsed amid the financial crisis. The quota would allow the killing of 150 fin whales and more than 100 minke whales each year for five seasons. So far, the new government has said it would not cancel this year’s hunt. [...]

By: Knowless

Knowless — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:07:37 +0000

If the previous Minister had the executive power to authorise the whaling licenses then you could assume that the new minister has the executive power to withdraw the licenses.

By: Bromley86

Bromley86 — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:34:33 +0000

Good point Niels:

IP 25
SD 18
LG 9
PP 7
LP 4

So they’d need the SD & PP to join them if it required a vote. But does it require a vote?

By: Niels

Niels — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:08:16 +0000

@Bromley
I do not know too much about icelandic politics but I suspect the problem is that the current gov is actually a minority government, so probably they do not have a majority to overturn this decision.

By: EW

EW — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:46:24 +0000

This is mind boggling for the head of a “Green Party” not to revoke his predecessor’s shameful decision and to press on to explode bombs inside the 2nd largest mammals on earth, a listed endangered species. Cowardly, and not what Iceland needs. Iceland should be doing everything it can to expand whale WATCHING, as the tourist income is where Iceland’s economy is destined. Are we in the 21st century yet?

By: Niels

Niels — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:12:13 +0000

Hi Fishy,
Well, I am not an environmentalist too (same goes for Bromley as he told himself) and I do not have an emotional problem with whaling even though I am not symphatetic to it, just like I am not sympathetic towards hunting.
But I still eat meat, so I have no moral right to discuss the matter, that is why I was focusing on the economic aspect.
BTW did you know that in the most popular guide on Iceland (Lonely Planet) in the reviews of restaurants there is a specific indication when they serve whale meat?

By: Bromley86

Bromley86 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:07:23 +0000

Just saw this over on IR. Does anyone know what he means?

“Sigfússon, who had considered revoking the decision, said his hands were tied.”
http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16539&ew_0_a_id=320165