The daily Morgunblaðið reports that Konráð Eggertsson, a whale hunter, and his crew are waiting for better weather to start whaling. The Minisry of Fisheries has allowed 39 minke whales to be hunted for scientific purposes this summer. This is up from last summer´s 25 whale quota.
Whaling for scientific purposes has been allowed in Iceland for the past three years.
Icelandic whale watching companies vehemently oppose whaling for “scientific purposes.” Ásbjörn Björgvinsson, chairman of the Association for Whale Watching Companies, says that as of yet, it is not possible to demonstrate any behavioral changes in the whales after last year’s minke hunt. He adds that whaling in Iceland does not help the tourist industry.
