Posted on September, 15 2014

The 28 member states of the European Union have been joined by the US, Australia, Brazil, Israel, New Zealand, Mexico and Monaco in issuing a diplomatic demarche against Iceland over its whale hunts. In a letter delivered to government officials in Reykjavik today, the countries expressed their opposition to Iceland’s commercial whaling and to its international trade in whale meat, which they say are out of accord with the country’s treaty obligations.

WWF-US Senior Policy Advisor for Wildlife Conservation Leigh Henry said:

“Already this year Iceland has killed 116 endangered fin whales. It has also engaged in an unprecedented increase in exports of fin whale meat to Japan, despite international regulations restricting such trade between countries.

WWF joins these governments in calling on Iceland to adhere to the International Whaling Commission’s moratorium on commercial whaling, and to commit to ending its fin whale hunt and international trade.”

The US has restricted diplomatic relations with Iceland for undermining the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. 

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