US authorities have demanded that limitations on inter-country trade with whaling products be established during the current International Whaling Commission discussions. The Icelandic delegation is dissatisfied with this demand.
Whaling in Iceland. Copyright: Icelandic Photo Agency.
“If US authorities won’t budge on this issue it is clear that we cannot reach an agreement and, if so, we will declare that they are responsible for it,” Tómas H. Heidar, Iceland’s main representative on the IWC, told Morgunbladid.
Heidar stated that the demand US authorities are making is not along the lines of the agreement that was about to be reached.
All negotiation parties were aware that Iceland is firm about no limitations being established on inter-country trade with whaling products, Heidar explained.
He added that the draft of the agreement had always assumed continued commercial whaling in the countries which currently hunt whales.
Talks between the 12 IWC member states have been ongoing all winter and the final round of discussions is scheduled to take place in Washington on Sunday.
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