131 tonnes of fin whale meat has been imported into Japan from Iceland via Yahoo! In July, the Environmental Investigation Agency report Renegade Whaling identified Icelandic company Hvalur and its multi-millionaire boss Kristján Loftsson as hunting Fin whales for export to Japan via a company he helped to set up.
Despite the The Pelly Amendment permits (that has the United States to imposing a trade embargo against any products from a state certified as harvesting or trading whales in a manner which diminishes the effectiveness of either the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), it has now been confirmed that in August a new export to Japan took place of 131 tonnes of Fin whale product with an estimated value of 209 million Icelandic króna ($1.7 million).
On September 15, US President Barack Obama stated that Iceland's whaling and trade in the meat threatens the conservation status of an endangered species and undermines multilateral efforts to ensure greater worldwide protection for whales. Stopping short of targeted trade sanctions, he nevertheless announced diplomatic measures aiming to push Iceland to halt the trade.
Yahoo Japan! sells numerous Icelandic Fin whale products, including large blocks of meat, blubber and canned products. As of September 2011, these products and many more were still available on the internet from Yahoo! Japan shopping sites; a survey by the Environmental Investigation Agency found 10 different retailers offering Icelandic Fin whale meat products for sale via Yahoo! Japan.
EIA Senior Campaigner Clare Perry said …
"At a time when the US Government is applying international pressure to force an end to Iceland's whaling and international trade, Yahoo! Japan is effectively encouraging further hunting of the species by selling endangered Fin whale meat products on its website. "It's long past due that Yahoo! put its house in order and stopped profiting from, and stimulating, this bloody and wholly unnecessary slaughter."
Make your outrage know to Yahoo, write to them expressing your disgust.
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