Go Whale Watching in Iceland: Make A Difference

By William Rossiter

Asbjorn (Abbi) Bjorgvinsson, Manager for the Husavik Whale Center, Iceland, reports that even as "whale watching has been growing faster than any other sector of the Icelandic tourist industry in the past seven years there is still a constant call for the resumption of whaling by the whalers club and a number of Parliament members". Iceland's Foreign Minister, Halldor Asgrimsson has claimed that Iceland will resume whaling at least as soon as Iceland has rejoined the IWC, and that Japan would buy all the whale meat Iceland could provide. Iceland's surface argument is that whaling must be resumed before whales start having a negative impact on fish stocks. In truth, whales already have had millions of years to eat all the fish, but Iceland wants all the fish for Iceland, plus a lot of whales. Iceland's Marine Research Institute claims that 250 Minke whales and 100 finback whales should be taken every year. If only for nationalistic reasons the majority of Icelanders still support these views.

In happy contrast, the whale watching industry in Iceland has exploded. In 1995 2,200 people went whale watching. By 2000 45,000 tourists went whale watching from nine locations, and 2001 increased to over 60,000! But only 10 percent are Icelanders, reflecting a national attitude that sees the value of whales very differently from other countries. Still, whale watching is having a deep effect on the national psyche. The value of Iceland's whale watching business alone is about US$8,508,500. The total revenue to the Iceland economy is estimated to be US$13,868,855. On economic grounds alone the government should take whale watching seriously, but the potential from whaling is still expected to be worth more money. Icelandic whale watching operators must come together to speak against whaling, and to stand up for their industry. They also must adopt formal regulations. They may achieve these goals in a spring meeting in Husavik, with the help of organizations like CSI. The potential for whale watching in Iceland is excellent, with blue, finback, humpback, minke and sei whales close to shore. With continued success longer trips may focus on deeper water species like sperm whales.

CSI congratulates Abbi and the Husavik Whale Center, which may soon open a new facility with more room, exhibits and influence. We are very pleased to support his continuing efforts, and remind readers that his hard work earned him the prestigious United Nations Environment Programme Global 500 Award in 2000.