U.S., Others Call On Iceland To Drop Whaling Plan
The letter expressed "extreme disappointment" in a decision by the former government, which quit down last month over the island's financial collapse, to permit annual catches of 150 fin and 100 minke whales.
"We call on Iceland to reconsider this decision and focus on the advancement of the (International Whaling) Commission, and the long-term rather than the short-term interests of the whaling industry," it said.
The letter, seen by Reuters, was signed by senior diplomats in Reykjavik of the United States, Germany, Britain, France, Finland and Sweden. An international moratorium on whaling has been in force since 1986.
The new government of Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, which took office this month, has said it will review the decision to resume whaling.
Iceland ended a 20-year ban on commercial whaling in August 2006, issuing quotas that ran through August 2007. After a temporary halt, the country resumed whaling in May last year, despite protests by environmentalists.
