冰島捕鯨業自6月以來，已捕殺200多隻鯨魚，包括125隻瀕臨絕種的長鬚鯨，以及79隻體型較小但數量較多的小鬚鯨。
26個國家2日發表聯合聲明，試圖以外交壓力迫使冰島放棄捕鯨。這份聯合抗議聲明由英、美、澳，以及德、法、葡、西等12個歐盟國家正式簽署，表達26國政府對冰島允許捕鯨業的決策「深感失望」。
今年稍早，冰島即將離任的漁農部長批准為期5年的商業捕鯨配額，每年上限為150頭長鬚鯨和100頭小鬚鯨。僅管冰島的保育人士指出，小鬚鯨肉的市場需求有限，甚至也沒有長鬚鯨肉的市場，但接任的政府不僅讓原配額維持一年，更提高2009年配額為200頭長鬚鯨和200頭小鬚鯨。
「聽到今年已捕殺近200隻鯨魚的消息，我感到極度失望。」英國野生動物部長Huw Irranca-Davies接受《電訊報》訪問時如此表示。其實這26國早在2006年11月間，就已對前冰島政府發表類似的聯合聲明，抗議其捕鯨活動。
2日這份外交聲明發布前不久，國際動物福利基金會（IFAW）等動物福利團體，才在倫敦的冰島大使館前進行抗議，他們呼籲冰島政府正視國際社會的批評，並且支持符合人道精神又能獲利的「責任賞鯨」（responsible whale watching）活動，放棄殘忍的捕鯨活動。
IFAW英國分會主任Robbie Marsland表示：「全世界都在關注冰島，我們要促使他們停止這種殘忍又不必要的鯨魚屠殺。不只英國，全世界的民眾都厭惡這種商業捕鯨活動。冰島若執意繼續以不人道、不永續的方式捕殺鯨魚，等於自外於歐洲其他國家的步伐。」
Marsland指出，「使用爆炸性魚叉（裝有爆裂彈頭的魚叉，explosive harpoon）射殺鯨魚，鯨魚至少要半個多小時才會死亡。而冰島所獵捕的瀕危鯨魚，甚至沒有銷售市場。」
根據民意調查及獨立經濟研究顯示，冰島僅極少數人好吃鯨肉，反而「責任賞鯨」成為該國最受歡迎的旅遊活動之一，並且為沿海社區帶來每年500萬歐元的經濟效益。
Twenty-six countries Friday issued a joint statement putting diplomatic pressure on Iceland to abandon whaling. Icelandic whalers have killed more than 200 whales so far since June, including endangered 125 fin whales and 79 smaller and more abundant minke whales.
The joint demarche, a formal diplomatic protest signed by the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and 12 European Union countries including Germany, France, Portugal and Spain, states that the 26 governments are "deeply disappointed" with the former Icelandic government's decision to authorize commercial whaling.
Earlier this year, the outgoing Fisheries and Agriculture Minister granted commercial whaling quotas of up to 150 fin whales and 100 minke whales a year for five years.
The current government has kept these kill quotas in place for one year, and increased the catch allocation to 200 fin whales and 200 minke whales for 2009, despite what conservationists say is a limited market for minke whale meat and no market for fin whale meat.
"I am extremely disappointed to hear that nearly 200 whales have been taken so far this year," UK wildlife minister Huw Irranca-Davies told the "Telegraph" newspaper.
A similar demarche against Icelandic whaling under the previous government was issued by 26 countries in November 2006.
Shortly before Friday's demarche was issued, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other animal welfare groups staged a protest outside the Icelandic Embassy in London.
They called on the Icelandic government to heed the international criticism and support responsible whale watching as a humane and profitable alternative to the cruelty of whaling.
, UK Director of IFAW, said, "The eyes of the world are on Iceland as we urge them to stop this cruel and unnecessary slaughter of whales. Citizens of the UK and many other countries around the world view the commercial killing of whales with disgust."
"Iceland's persistence in continuing with its inhumane and unsustainable whaling puts it out of step with the rest of Europe," said Marsland. "Whales shot with explosive harpoons can take more than half an hour to die, and Iceland is also killing an endangered species for which no market has been found.
Opinion polling and independent economic research in Iceland has revealed little appetite for whale meat, while responsible whale watching, by contrast, is financially lucrative and one of the country's most popular tourist activities, generating€5m a year for coastal communities.
全文及圖片詳見：ENS
