May, 8, 2014.- 28 international organizations dedicated to the conservation of the environment and animal welfare, among them ADDA, have written to urge de Commissioner of Environment Janez Potocnik , to take meaningful actions and measures against Iceland. The organizations have asked also the European Commission to prepare a resolution expressing concern about Icelandic commercial whaling and trade for the forthcoming IWC (International Whaling Commission) meeting in September.

Since Iceland resumed commercial whaling in 2006, its whalers have killed nearly 1,000 whales, including 414 fin whales.

In December 2013, Iceland’s Minister of Fisheries issued a block quota permitting the yearly killing of 154 fin whales and 229 minke whales from 2014 to 2018. In March 2014, the Minister extended the minke whale block quota to 2019. These quotas were set arbitrarily and unitarily, and do not have the approval of either the IWC or its Scientific Committee.

Last April, Island export to Japan 2,000 tons of whale products The ship carrying this products is in route to Japan apparently via the coast of Africa, to avoid EU ports given the present EU discussion on possible transit bans.

Including this shipment, more than 5,000 tons of whale meat and blubber have been exported to Japan since Iceland’s resumption of commercial whaling and trade.

This trade is occurring under Iceland’s reservation to the CITES Appendix I listing. Nonetheless the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center (WCMC) highlighted in a report of Marc