A recent report from the University of Iceland that estimates greater economic benefits if whale hunting were increased has been criticized as inaccurate and misleading.
The report essentially contends that since each whale eats a certain amount of certain kinds of fish, hunting more whales will mean that more of this fish will be available for humans. This, the report contends, would increase the amount of revenue coming into the country.
However, Hilmar Malmquist, the director of the Icelandic Natural Conversation Society, says that the reasoning within the report is flawed. Malmquist, who is also a doctor of biology, contends that fish and whale populations are more fluid and harder to predict than the report is making it out to be. Furthermore, the report was conducted by economists; not biologists.
Whaling continues to be a hot button issue in Iceland. Whale watching groups have been especially critical of the practice, naturally, but the economic dead end of whale hunting is also becoming apparent to more Icelanders.