So Iceland wants to remind us about its whaling
At a time when some countries are fixated on giving Japan a deal on commercial whaling, it would seem Iceland may be thinking it's going to be left out of any deal.
Despite experiencing depressed sales of whale meat, Iceland's whalers have taken this opportunity to remind the world that they 'want in' on any future commercial whaling quotas. Stefan Asmundsson, a senior official in Iceland's fisheries ministry is reported as saying, 'We are not expecting any big quotas, but we are likely to see in the relatively near future some quotas for minke whales,'.
Actually, Iceland may have done conservation a favour by reminding those who seem intent on giving Japan a concession for their intransigence in continuing their self-certified whaling, that others will always seek to exploit such opportunities to their own ends.
On the other hand, those who have sought to capitualte to Japan may have face up to the fact that they may have, inadvertently, encouraged Iceland back into whaling - just a thought.
Deals may seem like sensible politics to some, but invariably such 'good intentions' unravel when those who are involved in commercial whaling seek to maximise the returns they are lilkely to get out of any proposition.
The reality is that all such deals end up, after every one has had a say, as very different to that which was originally proposed.
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