OS] ICELAND/US/ECON/FOOD - US threatens Iceland sanctions ov

another on Iceland whaling from 2011
OS] ICELAND/US/ECON/FOOD - US threatens Iceland sanctions over whaling

Released on 2012-10-17 17:00 GMT
Email-ID 	2062538
Date 	2011-07-20 21:43:07
From 	@stratfor.com
To 	@stratfor.com
US threatens Iceland sanctions over whaling
20 July 2011 - 20H25
http://www.france24.com/en/20110720-us-threatens-iceland-sanctions-over-whaling

AFP - The United States on Wednesday threatened Iceland with economic
sanctions over its commercial whaling, accusing the country of undermining
international efforts to preserve the ocean giants.

After a pressure campaign by environmentalists, Commerce Secretary Gary
Locke certified Iceland under a domestic law that paves the way for
retaliation against nations that flout the International Whaling
Commission's moratorium.

"Iceland's harvest of whales and export of fin whale meat threaten an
endangered species and undermine worldwide efforts to protect whales,"
said Locke, who oversees the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.

"It's critical that the government of Iceland take immediate action to
comply with the moratorium," he said in a statement.

Under a law known as the Pelly Amendment, countries in violation of the
International Whaling Commission are subject to economic sanctions. Locke
sent a letter to President Barack Obama, who must decide within 60 days on
whether he will authorize sanctions or other measures.

Locke also recommended that the United States reconsider cabinet-level
visits to Iceland and cooperation on Arctic projects. The United States
has recently stepped up focus on the Arctic Ocean, as climate change is
set to make it more navigable.

The International Whaling Commission imposed a global moratorium on
whaling in 1986 amid alarm on the stock of the marine mammals. Norway and
Iceland are the only nations to defy the moratorium openly, with Oslo
formally stating its objection to it in 1993 and Reykjavik following suit
in 2006.

Japan hunts more than 1,000 whales a year, a point of intense dispute with
Australia. But Japan considers itself within the rules of the
International Whaling Commission by invoking a clause that allows a catch
for scientific research.

The United States has previously invoked the Pelly Amendment against
Norway and Japan but it has not followed through on sanctions, hoping
instead to use the certification as a means of pressure.