Whale Meat Traded Between Norway, Iceland, and Japan, As IWC Meeting Approaches

Iceland and Norway have resumed whale meat exports to Japan for the first time since the early 1990s despite an international trade ban.

A shipment of endangered Fin whale meat has be sent Japan by the two countries.   

In an interview with Reuters, Kristjan Loftsson, Chief executive of the Icelandic whaling company Hvalur  said "This trade will be mutually beneficial for the three main whaling countries."

Loftsson also provided most of Fin whale meat that's been sitting in storage since 2006 .

Iceland stopped whaling in 2007 because of a lack of demand and have sat on the 80 ton surplus ever since. 

Loftsson is a businessman and his agenda one of pure financial gain.
He's probably thinking that if he can demonstrate a demand, albeit
anywhere in the world, the Fisheries Minister will have no choice but
to allow for more commercial whaling.   Loftsson is pressuring the
Fisheries Minister to ignore science, put aside economic reason, and
give the green light to shoot some whales.

Norway, Iceland and Japan do not recognize a ban on trade by the U.N.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, saying it was
a political decision. I can't imagine there is much political benefit
to trade in endangered species.

Meanwhile the United States is calling on Iceland and Norway to
reconsider trade in whale meat for sale in Japan. State Department
spokesman told the Associated Press that the U.S. is "deeply
disappointed" by recent reports of the shipments of whale meat to
Japanese commercial markets.

He says the U.S. wants the nations involved to focus on the "long
term rather than the short term interests of the whaling industry."  Yes, you read that right, the long term interests of the whaling industry????!!!
Nothing about whale conservation mentioned at all. It's sad to think
that the US could be brokering a deal at the IWC that allows for some
type of whaling.  That's going to hit next week when IFAW's own Patrick
Ramage testifies before congress on the US role on the IWC.