Can whale-watching and whale-hunting co-exist?
[23.06.09 12:50] Iceland says yes, but others at the Intl. Whaling Commission meeting in Portugal say no… Whale watching generates far more money than whale hunting, according to a report released at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Madeira, Portugal, BBC reports. Worldwide, the industry now generates about $2.1bn per year, it says. The group commissioning the report, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw), says whaling countries would gain from a switch to whale watching. However, Iceland’s delegate here said the two industries were compatible and could grow together. Iceland recently announced a major expansion of its fin whale hunt and plans to take 150 of the animals this year, along with up to 100 minke whales. The report follows on the heels of an analysis commissioned by another organisation opposed to whaling, WWF, which suggested that the Japanese and Norwegian hunts were a net cost to their governments. The Ifaw-commissioned report, compiled b
