whale-for-sale

WHALE FOR SALE THE GLOBAL TRADE IN DEAD WHALESEuropean UnionAll cetacean species are strictly protected under European Union (EU) legislation and any incidentalcapture, killing or sale by EU Members is prohibited. The EU specifically prohibits international tradein whale products under Council Regulation No. 338/97 which implements CITES in the EU memberstates and which lists all cetacean products on Annex A; thus being stricter than CITES itself.The issue of whale meat and products transiting EU ports is giving rise to increasing concern. Thepractice has been going on for decades and is a commonsense means for Icelandic and Norwegianwhalers to export their products to Japan and Asia by sea, since transport by air is very costly. Thereis no direct shipping route to Asia, so vessels need to stop off on route, either to refuel or else totransfer their cargo to another vessel for the onward journey. EU ports, therefore, offer a convenientstopping-off point.© Gary Blakeley/ShutterstockAlthough whale meat transiting EU ports does not actually clear customs and thus does not officiallyenter the EU market, WDC believes that by allowing such shipments through its ports, the EU is facilitatingtrade in whale species which are protected by multiple EU laws and whose hunting contravenesthe current international ban on commercial whaling. Examples include:• In 1987, 140 tons of Icelandic whale meat was stopped in Hamburg, Germany. The seven containers,destined for Japan, labeled as ‘seafood’, were confiscated. 1• In June 1988, eight containers carrying 200 tons of Icelandic whale meat en route to Japan werestopped in the port of Helsinki, Finland by the Finnish government. Finland’s then EnvironmentMinister opted to return the shipment to Iceland. 2• Iceland shipped 250 kg of whale meat to Latvia in February 2010, in a clear violation of CITES rules.It is not known whether the shipment was sent directly to Latvia, or entered via another EU country. 3{ 10 }