American supermarket chain Whole Foods Market (WFM) has decided to stop marketing Icelandic products because of Iceland resuming commercial whaling.
Minister of Fisheries Einar K. Gudfinnsson told Fréttabladid that the supermarket’s decision is disappointing and said it is possible that other American companies will react the same way.
The minister received a letter from Kenneth J. Meyer CEO of WFM’s East Coast branch in November saying the company could not continue marketing Icelandic products as their clients were opposed to whaling.
WFM will continue to sell Icelandic products in stores but Meyer warned that if the Icelandic government would not change their attitude towards whaling and customers would start boycotting Icelandic products, WFM would have to get specialty products like lamb from elsewhere.
Gudfinnsson told Fréttabladid that he had expected a short-term negative effect of the government’s decision to resume commercial whaling, but he believes that with time people will come to understand Iceland’s reasons for sustainable whaling.
To read more about commercial whaling in Iceland, click here.
