冰島政府決定不再核發商業捕鯨配額，除非市場對鯨魚肉的需求增加，尤其是日本市場。鯨魚保育人士宣稱這是一項成功並歡慶這項決定。但是冰島的捕鯨業者希望能繼續獵捕鯨魚，表示如果沒有產品可供販賣，那麼市場也就無法擴大。
冰島漁業部長渥凡森(Einar Guofinnsson)24日向路透社表示，政府相信在8月31日配額到期之後，沒有理由應允許更多的捕鯨行為。
2006年10月，冰島宣布再度開放商業捕鯨。儘管國際已經禁止商業捕鯨長達20年，冰島仍核發30隻小鬚鯨、9隻長鬚鯨的配額，這2種都被世界自然保育聯盟(IUCN)列為瀕危物種。
在這個配額裡，冰島捕鯨業殺了7隻小鬚鯨和7隻長鬚鯨，但因為某些原因，無法銷售這些鯨魚肉。
然而，由於懼怕北大西洋鯨魚肉類的高毒物含量，冰島和日本消費者也不願購買。
動物福利國際基金會英國分會會長馬斯蘭(Robbie Marsland)表示：「對鯨魚和冰島來說，這都是大好消息。捕鯨既殘忍又沒必要，且我們所有的研究都顯示，不管是冰島或是國際上，沒有什麼人想吃鯨魚肉。
海洋守護保育協會創辦人瓦森(Paul Watson)指出，他花費20年「奮力」與冰島捕鯨業搏鬥，如今民意共同對抗捕殺與食用鯨魚肉這兩項議題。
瓦森24日表示：「冰島懼怕國際鯨魚委員會譴責非法屠殺鯨魚。他們也懼怕華盛頓公約不授權冰島販賣鯨魚肉給日本。而他們更懼怕的，是國際輿論。」
Whale conservationists are declaring victory and celebrating the decision by the government of Iceland not to issue any more commercial whaling quotas until market demand for whale meat improves, especially in Japan. But Icelandic whalers want to continue the hunt, saying they cannot build up the market if there is no product to sell.
Icelandic Fisheries Minister Einar Guofinnsson told the Reuters news agency Friday that the government believes that there is no reason to allow more whaling after the current quota expires on August 31.
Last October Iceland announced a return to commercial whaling. Despite an international moratorium on commercial whaling that has been in place for over two decades, Iceland and issued a quota of 30 minke whales and nine fin whales, listed by the IUCN-World Conservation Union as an endangered species.
Of that quota, Icelandic whalers have killed seven minke whales and seven fin whales but have not been able to market the meat for a number of reasons.
But fears of high toxic levels in North Atlantic whale meat have made both Icelanders and Japanese consumers reluctant to buy it.
"This is fantastic news for whales and for Iceland," said Robbie Marsland, director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare's UK office.
"Whaling is cruel and unnecessary," he said, "and all of our studies have also shown there is little appetite for whale meat in Iceland or internationally."
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Founder Captain Paul Watson says his 20 year long "aggressive" campaign against Icelandic whaling has turned public opinion against the twin ideas of whale hunting and eating whale meat ".
Iceland has been deterred by condemnation from the International Whaling Commission for their illegal slaughter of whales. They have been deterred by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species which will not authorize the sale of Icelandic whale meat to Japan. And they have been deterred by international public criticism," Watson said Friday.
全文及圖片詳見 ENS
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
