Whaling: Iceland fish boycott calls grow – Fishupdate.com

Whaling: Iceland fish boycott calls grow Published:  30 January, 2009

PROTESTS are starting to mount against Iceland and Icelandic fish – just 48 hours after it announced a large increase in its catch quota for minke and fin whales.

Capt Paul Watson, founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and who threatened to disrupt Iceland fishing efforts two years over its whaling policy, said: “Iceland has spat in the face of marine conservationists around the world with their extremist announcement that they wish to slaughter 150 endangered fin whales and 100 minke whales this year.” Capt Watson is calling the increased hunting effort illegal and implores marine mammal enthusiasts around the world to boycott “all things Icelandic.”

“We’re going to say to people around the world to not buy Icelandic fish, vodka, and sweaters to not go as tourists to Iceland and to not use Iceland as a refuelling station for private jets,” he added. Meanwhile, the Sea Shepherd’s flagship vessel, Steve Irwin, is currently involved in a disruption effort against a Japanese whaling mission in the Antarctic.

The Icelandic Tourist Industry Association has also added its voice to the protest, condemning the actions of the outgoing Fisheries Minister Einar K. Gudfinnsson.The association said in a statement:””Whaling, especially hunting of the great whales, raises considerable criticism in the countries we most often trade with and over the past years it has happened over and over again that consumers boycott Icelandic products and services because of the whaling that has taken place in Iceland in recent years,” the statement added.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.