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Illegal whale meat imported in the European Union
last update: Mar 19, 2010 01:25 PM
From a "PR Newswire" article: In defiance of international law and a global whaling ban, Icelandic government records state that the country is exporting meat from slaughtered whales to Latvia, Denmark, but also to Japan.
Statistics Iceland, the source for official Icelandic government statistics, have reports which show a number of recent exports of whale products from Iceland to the three countries, which in the case of Denmark and Latvia are contrary to EU law, even if the products are re-exported. International trade in whale products is banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Latvian authorities confirmed this and have promised a full investigation, which is welcomed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) who are deeply concerned about illegal international trade in whale products, particularly in the context of current negotiations over a relaxation of the worldwide ban on commercial whaling.
Robbie Marsland, UK Director of IFAW, said: "Iceland appears to be riding roughshod over international law. This information comes at a time when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is considering a compromise deal that could allow commercial whaling despite the moratorium. These exports provide further proof that this is exactly the wrong time for the IWC to consider any moves to 'legitimise' whaling. Whales need protection and the worldwide ban on whaling needs to be strengthened, not weakened."
As both Latvia and Denmark are members of the European Union, importation of whale products is a violation of both the EU Habitats Directive and the EU CITES Regulation. In addition, this trade would be illegal under CITES, of which Iceland, Latvia and Denmark are members.
Read more:
PR Newswire, 18th March 2010
