U.S. condemns Iceland’s whale meat trade

U.S. condemns IcelandÆs whale meat trade    The U.S. government on Tuesday condemned Iceland's decision to resume international trade in fin whale meat along with the North Atlantic country's reported escalation of commercial whaling outside the control of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
   The IWC said Iceland killed 273 endangered fin whales in the last two years. Commission scientists fear removing more than 46 fin whales per year from the population is unsustainable. There is currently a global moratorium on commercial whaling, and a ban on international trade in fin whale meat.
   'The United States strongly opposes Iceland's defiance of the commercial whaling ban. We urge Iceland to cease international trade of whale meat and work with the international community to safeguard whale species,' said U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, in a statement.
   Locke indicated that the United States is currently evaluating potential domestic responses to Iceland's increased harvest of whales outside of IWC control.
      The Commerce Department conserves, protects, and manages living marine resources through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The United States also supports conservation of the world's whale populations through the IWC.