merrion street

Today, (15 September 2014), the EU's Ambassador to Iceland, Matthias Brinkmann, delivered a demarche to the Government of Iceland expressing strong opposition to Iceland's continuing and increased commercial harvest of whales, particularly fin whales, and to its on-going international trade in whale products. Ireland supported the Demarche, which was made on behalf of the EU, its 28 Member States and the governments of the United States, Australia, Brazil, Israel, New Zealand, Mexico and Monaco.

Since 1986, a ban on commercial whaling has been in force under the auspices of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the body charged with the task of overseeing the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling. Ireland acceded to this convention in 1985 and adopts a strong pro conservation position at the convention.

The purpose of the demarche is to:

· express deep concern at the significant increase in the whale harvest, particularly of fin whales, and to urge an end to this practice

· object to international trade in whale products

· urge Iceland to withdraw the reservation entered in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) on certain cetacean species

· draw attention to the social and economic benefits of non-lethal use of whales viz. whale watching industry

· encourage the complete elimination of commercial whaling by Iceland