Reykjavik - An Icelandic whaler announced plans at the weekend to export more than 1,000 tons of fin whale meat now that the controversial whaling season has drawn to a close. Kristjan Loftsson, whose firm Hvalur was at the forefront of the 2009 hunt, told Reykjavik-based radio station RUV, "It won't actually be a problem to dispose of the meat on the market. It has never been."
Despite heavy international protest by animal rights and environment groups, the government gave Loftsson the green light to catch 150 fin whales. In addition, his quota also included 100 of the much smaller minke whales, which, unlike the fin, is not an endangered species.
Groups such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have criticized Iceland's approach, citing the moratorium on commercial whaling that has been in force since 1986. Animal rights groups also argue that the trade in whale meat contravenes Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
According to Loftsson, his workers have killed 125 fin whales since the spring. The meat was being kept in cold storage, had been checked by authorities and was ready for export.
Last year, local and international media reported that even Japanese customers, who live in the sole importing country for whale meat, had expressed little interest.
