Stop Press - Iceland Suspends Whaling

On the 2nd of November Iceland announced that whaling has been suspended. Discover the World together with the various environmental organisations and the Icelandic Travel Industry will continue in our efforts to lobby the Icelandic government to try and ensure that this activity ceases permanently. By travelling to Iceland you are not supporting the whaling industry but in fact are doing the complete opposite and are supporting the whale watching industry and the rest of the tourism industry in Iceland who are fighting hard to get the whaling stopped. We thank you for your support and hope to welcome you on one of our holidays to Iceland in the near future.

Our Position on Whaling

To many people in the UK the whale is the very embodiment of all that is enchanting and exciting about the natural world and they find the hunting of whales simply abhorrent

Our position is clear: Discover the World strongly objects to the resumption of commercial whaling by Iceland as we feel that this activity is unacceptable to the majority of our clients, is unnecessary and counter productive to the image of Iceland as a modern and enlightened nation. In addition, revenue produced through the far more lucrative and sustainable whale watching industry far outweighs the revenue produced from commercial whaling.

We would still hope that, despite this very negative development, visitors will still travel to Iceland, as the Icelandic Travel Industry Association (SAF) have clearly stated they are against the resumption of whaling, as have a number of their key members individually - such as Icelandair.

For anyone considering cancelling their holiday plans, this is of course their choice. However, before deciding upon this course of action, it might be helpful to think about the numerous businesses and individuals in Iceland opposed to the resumption of commercial whaling. Whale watching has grown tremendously in recent years and the companies involved deserve support in their 'non-lethal whale utilisation programmes' to use the current jargon. Supporting these companies, and others in Iceland opposed to commercial whaling, whilst at the same time expressing your concerns to the government, through petitions for example, is perhaps a more appropriate thing to do. Of course, we must never underestimate the effect of a short, well written letter expressing our concerns, and consider asking for journalistic access to the hunting expeditions in order that we may all see and understand what is happening.

Here are 4 contacts to whom letters can be sent:

• The Icelandic Fisheries minister is:
           Einar Guðfinnsson
           Sjávarútvegsráðuneytið
           Skúlagötu 4
           150 Reykjavík
   
• The minister responsible for tourism is:
           Sturla Böðvarsson
           Samgönguráðuneytið
           Hafnarhúsinu,
           Tryggvagötu
           150 Reykjavík
   
• einar.kristinn.gudfinnsson@sjr.stjr.is on behalf of the Ministry of Fisheries and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, in October 2006
   
• Sigurdur.Baldvinsson@utn.stjr.is on behalf of Gunnar Pálsson, ambassador, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs

It is also worth remembering that policies and practices of other nations often raise similar questions of conservation and animal welfare. In Britain, the recent debate concerning fox hunting is topical, but UK residents would have been perplexed if visitors from other countries used this as a reason not to visit. In Britain for example, would you cancel your holiday to:

• Scotland, where it is possible to kill grouse and other wild birds for sport?
• Cumbria, where it is possible to hunt pink-footed geese, most of which breed in Iceland, each winter?

• Mediterranean countries, where the capture and killing of migrating birds is a real conservation worry?
• Spain, where the inhumane ways in which bulls are treated in bull fights upsets many people?
• Brazil, where the continued destruction of rain forest is a conservation problem of global proportions?

We feel, as do IFAW (The International Fund for Animal Welfare), and WWF (the World Wide Fund for Nature), that a boycott of the country will be counter productive and that it is important for travellers to make their feelings known to the relevant people of Iceland, in a polite and logical way – face to face. We believe logical debate between people is the strongest influence for change.

Having operated holidays to Iceland for over two decades and as the first tour operator in the world to operate a whale watching tour to Iceland in 1993 – with similar holidays consistently featuring in our offerings ever since - it is our experience that Icelanders are some of the most fair minded, friendly and well informed people in the world and their country really is a true paradise. It is therefore especially perverse that their government should take this action. We will be taking a very active role in lobbying the Icelandic government.

Your thoughts
Via our website, we have opened a forum for members of the British travelling public to raise any concerns or questions they might have on the subject. Please click here to view this forum.

Discover the World
20 October 2006

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