Friday August 21, 2009, 6:36 am
A total of 110 whales, 46 minke whales and 64 fin whales, have been caught during the current whaling season in Iceland, according to information from the Directorate of Fisheries. The sale of minke meat has proven successful.

“Until now, we haven't frozen a single piece of meat. It has all gone fresh to the domestic market—it is probably been the most popular BBQ meat this summer,” Gunnar Bergmann Jónsson, managing director of the Association of Minke Whalers, told Fréttabladid.

According to recommendations from the Icelandic Marine Research Institute, quota was issued for 200 minke whales and 150 fin whales. A quarter of the minke whale quota has already been caught and close to 50 percent of the fin whale quota.

Jónsson said he does not necessarily expect that they will finish the quota, which is not a goal in itself. The quota was increased from 100 to 200 animals in June and whalers had only been prepared to catch 100 minke whales.

Minke whalers are now considering exporting some of their catch. “We will see whether it will go to Japan, Norway or the Faroe Islands,” Jónsson told visir.is.

Fin whale hunters plan to export all of their catch to Japan. Managing director of whaling company Hvalur hf., Kristján Loftsson, says there is definitely market for it while Greenpeace claims there is none.

Friday August 21, 2009, 6:38 am
Hope the b*stards are happy now!!!

When there are no more & that
will happen then I will cry for
Mother Earth & not these killers!!!!!!

Plant trees for life................

Friday August 21, 2009, 7:06 am
this good news thanks cladia

Friday August 21, 2009, 7:20 am
Why? that is all I can think to say -- Why?

Friday August 21, 2009, 8:02 am
i can tell you why,money greed,that about summse it up,wipe out one and go to the next.

Friday August 21, 2009, 8:23 am
Why do people see the value in eating this? as they eat so many things that are dying out and/or just what they "FEEL" is medicinal. has progress not tuaght them anything?

Friday August 21, 2009, 8:41 am
Disgusting !

Friday August 21, 2009, 8:53 am
Thanks Claudia. Successful Whaling Season?????? Maybe that depends on your definition of successful. Some people just have no conscience.

Friday August 21, 2009, 9:02 am
Succes in the whaling industry to me is when all thier damn boats sink straight to the bottom of the oceans....Yeah thats what I am talking about....

Big Gorilly Hugs

Friday August 21, 2009, 9:34 am
Noted with tears just rolling down my face...

So sad for this loss, can't say anything.

Friday August 21, 2009, 9:59 am
Thanks Claudia. I suspect the whales would beg to differ on the definition of "successful". I just hope they don't get big ideas about increasing the catch to be able to export it.

Friday August 21, 2009, 2:35 pm
Horrrible is all I can say Horrible

Friday August 21, 2009, 3:22 pm
Once the US has destroyed whatever marine live left in the sea with their weapons testing, Iceland may be hard pushed to catch its quota!

Friday August 21, 2009, 3:47 pm
Well said Gillian!

Friday August 21, 2009, 11:37 pm
Sadness beyond words...

Saturday August 22, 2009, 12:41 am
too sad to say.

Saturday August 22, 2009, 4:50 am
Shocking and so utterly unnecessary.

Saturday August 22, 2009, 5:17 am
Now that Iceland has applied for entry to the European Union we should start writing to the EU commision in order to block this small insignificant bunch of brutes from gaining their membership.This is a rouge nation in the same way as Japan and Norway.Lets make it clear we want no truck with either of these murdering brutal killers.

Saturday August 22, 2009, 5:55 am
heartbreaking and sickening

Saturday August 22, 2009, 10:38 am
That will be that LAST Whale season there is , The KILLING ENDS, period. Thx Claudia.

Saturday August 22, 2009, 7:02 pm
and all of a sudden i don't feel bad that there country went bankrupt in the gobal meltdown a few months back !they should try bar-b-quing the ones who messed it up! that they could have for free i'm sure

Thursday August 27, 2009, 1:13 pm
Hoping for Karma

Saturday August 29, 2009, 7:45 pm
I don't understand why they are ENCOURAGING it?! That's all I hear - the Japanese and others who do this encourage the consumption of Whale. Where is the need to do this? Just to support a morally corrupt industry? It's so horrible and strange at the same time...