Iceland stops whaling after 2024, partly due to lower demand in Japan

 Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

アイスランド、２０２４年以降は捕鯨を中止　日本の需要減も一因

2022.02.06 Sun posted at 18:15 JST

  （ＣＮＮ） アイスランドのスバーバルスドッティル漁業・農業相は６日までに、同国が商業捕鯨を２０２４年に中止する方針を発表した。鯨肉（げいにく）需要の減退とクジラの保護論争が続いていることに配慮したことも明らかにした。

地元紙モルゲンブラディットへの寄稿で表明した。「割り当てられている捕獲許可の期限切れとなる２４年以降にも捕鯨を認める正当な理由がほとんどない」と指摘。

捕鯨はここ数年、同国に大きな経済的利益はもたらさなかったのは明白とし、過去３年の間、捕獲した大きなクジラは２１年のミンククジラ１頭にとどまったと述べた。

さらに、同国産の鯨肉の最大の買い手だった日本で需要が年々先細っているとも説明。「経済的な恩恵が生じない捕鯨を続行するリスクを背負うべきではない」と語った。

捕鯨が国際的に物議を醸してきた事実にも言及。米スーパーチェーンの「ホールフーズ」がアイルランド産品をしばらくの間、販売中止にした事例にも触れた。

国際捕鯨委員会（ＩＷＣ）は１９８６年に商業捕鯨の禁止を発表。ＩＷＣによると、アイスランドはこの後、小規模な「科学的な見地からの捕鯨事業」を続けたが、９２年にＩＷＣを脱退。２００２年に再加盟して０６年に商業捕鯨を再び始め、国際的な規則を無視しているとして多くの国が反発していた。

クジラやイルカの保護運動を進める非営利団体ＷＤＣによると、アイスランドは１９８６年の商業捕鯨の禁止以降、ミンククジラ、ナガスクジラやイワシクジラの１７００頭以上を捕獲。２００６年から１８年にかけてはナガスクジラ８５２頭を捕まえたが、１９年からの３年間ではないとしている。

日本は１８年１２月にＩＷＣを脱退、１９年に商業捕鯨を再開していた。

Translation

  (CNN) Iceland's Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Svavarsdóttir on the 6th announced that the country would stop commercial whaling in 2024. She also made clear that it was out of consideration over a declining demand for whale meat and the ongoing controversy over whales protection.

She stated this in her article to the local newspaper Morgunbladid. She pointed that "There is little good reason to allow whaling after 2024, when the allotted capture permit expires."

While it was clear that whaling had not brought significant economic benefits to the country in recent years, it said that in the past three years in catching large whale, they had only one minke in 2021.

She also explained that demand was declining year by year in Japan, which was the largest buyer Iceland produced whale meat. She said that "We should not take the risk of continuing whaling without financial benefits."

The fact that whaling had been internationally controversial was mentioned. She also mentioned a case where the US supermarket chain "Whole Foods" discontinued Irish products for some time.

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) announced a ban on commercial whaling in 1986. According to the IWC, Iceland then continued its small "scientific whaling business" but withdrew from the IWC in 1992. It rejoined in 2002 and started commercial whaling again in 2006, and many countries had opposed to Iceland for ignoring international rules.

According to WDC, a non-profit organization that promoted whale and dolphin conservation, Iceland had captured more than 1,700 minke whales, fin whales and sei whales since the 1986 ban on commercial whaling. It supposed that from 2006 to 2018, it caught 852 fin whales, and had no catch in three years from 2019.

Japan withdrew from the IWC in December 2018 and resumed commercial whaling in 2019.

              So, Iceland announces that the country will stop commercial whaling in 2024 in considering a declining demand for whale meat and an ongoing controversy over catching whales. I am wondering when will Japan do the same.