Whaling

[TheNoNamedOne]

Iceland stops whale-hunting quotas after low demand (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070824/sc_nm/iceland_whaling_dc;_ylt=AqQQsibw4qaPO_GIr__M6Ox4hM gF)

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Nearly a year after ending its ban on commercial whaling, Iceland will not issue new whale-hunting quotas until market demand increases and it gets an export license from Japan.

Iceland's fisheries minister, Einar K. Guofinnsson, told Reuters this week it made no sense to issue new quotas when the present quota period expires on August 31 if the market for whale meat was not strong enough.

"The whaling industry, like any other industry, has to obey the market. If there is no profitability there is no foundation for resuming with the killing of whales," he said.

Wait! I thought that not only Japan, but Iceland and Finland whaled due to their culture and that there are many families which depend on whaling for their economic livelihood.

Doesn't the government of Iceland care about their people' culture and those many families which depend on killing whales? Whaling nations sure have blasted non whaling nations at the IWC for not wanting to let them keep their culture.

After all this time they mean to tell us it really is about the MARKET(more like the false existence of them)? So all those claims about culture and family livelihood were just disengenuous?

Oh. Ok. Well, glad we finally got that straightened out.

[3y3sor3]

The quote comes from the Icelandic fishereis minister, that doesn't neccesarily mean his views are shared by the local population who hunt for whales as part of their national tradition. I don't disagree with you that whale hunting is probably not a good idea, but I don't think you can come to the conclusion you did based off that article.

[TheNoNamedOne]

The quote comes from the Icelandic fishereis minister, that doesn't neccesarily mean his views are shared by the local population who hunt for whales as part of their national tradition. ... I don't think you can come to the conclusion you did based off that article.

Yes, that is right, the quote comes from a government body, and that government body having force in its government's talks as a bloc with other whaling nations at yearly IWC meets, has said before that the issue is one of culture and that the non-whaling countries' bloc should not get in the way of other countries' cultures. But now from the story we learn that the government has decided not to issue hunting licenses based on economics -- which angers the whalers.

The conclusion I have pointed out is quite accurate.

Not to mention what I have not pointed out yet, that these whalers seem to be devoid of reality in the modern world i.e. that consumer demand brings a product to market, and if supply does come to market without demand, demand will surely make its verdict on that product soon enough. That verdict has been made on whale meat in Iceland. Their own population cannot even sustain it with demand for their own consumption of it to justify killing more...hence their wanting to get an agreement with Japan to open up their markets to Iceland hunted whales.

But geuss what, Japan can't even consume all their whale meat they hunt. It is backing up in wharehouses. If Iceland is looking for export markets because their own domestic markets cannot consume their product, then I am also left to question the fact that when they have put forth the reason to hunt because it is their own culinary tradition and diet as a food source, then it is a false reason.

Obviously that tradition and culture is in the midst of sinking. Whalers seem to be devoid of that reality. They had best consider changing their livelihoods over to a different living to avoid going down with the ship.

[Muku]

The quote comes from the Icelandic fishereis minister, that doesn't neccesarily mean his views are shared by the local population who hunt for whales as part of their national tradition. I don't disagree with you that whale hunting is probably not a good idea, but I don't think you can come to the conclusion you did based off that article.

This is taken directly from the article conveniently missing from the commentary included within other posts on this thread. Your views are right on the mark. I also agree that the conclusion that the other poster here is making is off the mark. But then they are known for creating conclusions that most people would never have seen in the first place.

Whalers had celebrated the decision to allow them to resume a traditional custom despite protests from some two dozen anti-whaling countries, including the United States.

They are now frustrated with the government's stance and say they should be allowed to keep hunting to develop the market.

"In my opinion the minister should not have any say on whether there is a market for our products or not," said Gunnar Bergmann Jonsson, who leads a minke whaling association. "How are we supposed to find markets if we don't have a product?


One conclusion that could be made here is the government is interfering with free market forces that want to stay in business for themselves.

Also left out of the commentary above here somewhere is the following quote from the article as well.

In addition, without an export agreement with Japan, a huge source of buyers is taken out of the equation.

Stefan Asmundsson, an officer at the ministry of fisheries, said negotiations for market access to Japan were ongoing.


If anything I would suggest that people read the entire article first and not just the shortened version with limited commentary.:rolleyes:

Doesnt mean that it is going to stay in place forever, only until an export agreement is made with Japan.

Another conclusion that could easily be made from this article is that this is a temporary stop and the whaling will continue as soon as the negotiations with Japan are concluded. And knowing Japan that should be too long, imo.

[TheNoNamedOne]

Time will tell about an agreement being put in place with Japan. Even with that agreement, if it ever does come about, the market demand for Iceland hunted whale meat in Japan will probably not be very strong or successful seeing that Japan has a glut of whale meat on the market here now. Like I said before, a lot of it is warehoused because they can't unload it. Not enough consumers are buying it.

And again, culture as a reason for continuing to hunt whales by Iceland has been exposed as false. It comes down to the money in the end.

[P_chan]

And again, culture as a reason for continuing to hunt whales by Iceland has been exposed as false.

How is it 'exposed' as being false?

[Muku]

How is it 'exposed' as being false?

Quite right, one does not equal the other.

Also who ever said that economics and culture can not be the same?