After a four-year break, the last whaling company in Iceland Hvalur hf., will resume hunting the animals this summer, much to the chagrin of the tourism .
Such as Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on Iceland’s tourism industry, the backlash to whaling is the last thing many industry officials want.
“In fact, it is well known and widely reported that the tourism industry believes that whaling damages Iceland’s image as a tourist destination,” said Jóhannes Þór Skúlason, executive director of the Iceland Tourism Board. “All you have to do is see how whaling is reported in the foreign press.”
“[A caça] It is often reported in larger publications with heated coverage,” continued Jóhannes. “In the tourism industry, both in private companies and in public surveys, in letters, phone calls and other communications, whaling has a very precise effect, and tourism companies feel this the moment whaling reenters the discussion. ”.
Company representatives expressed outrage at the planned resumption of hunting the animals. “The tourism industry and most Icelandic citizens are against it,” says Ásberg Jónsson, CEO of Travel Connect, a large travel services company based in Reykjavík, the country’s capital.
“It is sad and frustrating to know that this company, Hvalur, intends to resume the killing of these animals in Iceland. It is very damaging to our country’s reputation. This, in turn, has repercussions for our export and tourism industries.”
The stakes are high as tourism in Iceland came to a halt during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We are an island, so obviously the barrier to travel here is a little bit higher than people visiting a neighboring country,” said Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, head of Visit Iceland.
While Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on nations across the world, many countries are not as dependent on tourism as Iceland. Before the pandemic, tourism was the biggest activity in the country.
According to data from the Icelandic Chamber of Commerce, the sector’s growth peaked in 2017, when tourism exports accounted for 42% of the country’s total.
In the wake of the pandemic, the growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP ) was affected last year. Activities related to travel bookings, air transport, accommodation and catering decreased between 50% and 75% compared to 2019, which led to a contraction in the tourism sector and a drop of 3.9% in GDP in 2020.
Hvalur last sent its ships out to hunt in the summer of 2018, and a total of 146 whales were captured during the season. Depending on the light, the hunting season normally starts in June and lasts until September.
An estimated 150 people work on the whaling boats at a station in western Iceland and at the company’s processing facilities outside Reykjavík.
Some argue that whaling is part of Icelandic culture and must be resumed.
“Whaling has a long tradition here in Iceland, and I think reasonable and controlled whaling should be allowed,” an occasional station worker, who declined to be named because it could affect his job, told CNN .
“It’s only about 125-150 fin whales hunted each year in the seven seasons since Iceland started whaling again in 2006. That year, I think only eight whales were hunted.”
negative emails
It is intriguing to many that Hvalur, which is run by CEO Kristján Loftsson, continues to hunt the whales in light of environmental concerns and its precarious finances.
“It is difficult for us to understand why, as whaling is not only a harmful practice, it is also no longer financially viable,” said Ásberg of Travel Connect.
Loftsson of Hvalur declined to comment.
Iceland’s whaling activities account for about 3% of all whales hunted in the world, according to a 2019 report by the country’s Ministry of Industries and Innovation.
In 2017, the total revenue of whale watching companies was 3.2 billion Icelandic kroner (US$26.5 million). Meanwhile, Hvalur’s revenue for the same year was 1.7 billion kroner (US$14.1 million).
However, whale watching tours bring in more revenue as it is a popular activity for tourists throughout the year.
Many are fed up with the impact of one company, especially as tour companies hope this summer to return to a “pre-Covid” number of tourists, and a controversial issue like whaling is disappointing.
“Overall, our travel brands haven’t experienced many cancellations because of this, but every now and then we get negative emails about it,” Ásberg said. “We always explain that as a company we do not support whaling. Everyone should be able to see these amazing creatures thriving in their habitat.”
One last hurray?
The 2022 season could be Hvalur’s last, as the current license to hunt whales will expire in 2023, and Iceland’s Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture will decide whether or not to stop issuing whaling permits from 2024. by all indications, there is little demand for whaling products, and the industry does very little for Iceland’s economy.
“Any whaling in Icelandic waters is based on science and in accordance with international law,” said Sigríður. “Hvalur has the necessary license to carry out whaling this summer. It is up to the administration and owners to determine whether they will use it, and to the Icelandic people and government to determine whether any future licenses will be granted. In the last three years, only one Minke whale and no large whales have been captured.”
All Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in March 2022, and tourism executives have high hopes for a good summer.
“Tourism in Iceland is recovering well,” says Sigríður. “In our projections, we expect numbers close to normal this summer and a full return next year.”
Source: CNN Brasil
