Greenland: Will more independence mean more whaling?
The BBC Earth Watch column by Richard Black has raised the issue of increased Greenlandic independence from Denmark and its potential impact on whale and dolphin hunting.
Richard notes that 'More autonomy, they feel, will mean more rights to exploit the whales and seals and the trade they bring', and that's the problem. Greenland has been agitating for increased quotas from the IWC, whilst also allowing a creeping commercialization of its hunts, with both Finn whale and minke whale on sale within Greenland.
One of the things WDCS has pointed out in recent years is that any deal to allow commercial whaling, as promoted by some countries, will prove impossible to restrict to any one country (Japan for instance) and 'new' commercial whalers such as Greenland will maybe find it impossible to resist making money out of killing more whales and dolphins. Whilst whale consumption in Japan and Norway is diminshing, it will be those who are already willing to abuse the distinction of 'aboriginal subsistence whaling' that will increasingly be a threat.
So to all those countries willing to contemplate a deal for coastal whaling - just think where it may lead
WDCS on Twitter
WDCS on Facebook
WDCS on YouTube