Your Dinner Entrée May Be Killing Whales

Endangered fin whales will receive a temporary reprieve from Iceland's harpoons this summer, but more minke whales will be killed. Consumers are the driving force behind both commercial whale hunts.

If you buy fish sourced from one of Iceland's leading seafood companies, you are funding fin whaling.

And if you order whale meat at a restaurant while visiting Iceland, you are supporting minke whaling.

As part of the Don't Buy From Icelandic Whalers coalition, NRDC and other groups are bringing this message to Boston this week, urging seafood companies at the Seafood Expo North America not to do business with the giant Icelandic seafood company HB Grandi or its subsidiaries—companies that are all linked to and controlled by Icelandic whaling interests.

HB Grandi—Iceland's largest seafood company—plays a very active role in Iceland's whaling industry. Not only does it provide its facilities for the processing of endangered fin whale meat for export to Japan (there’s no domestic market for fin whales in Iceland), but it is also controlled by the whaling and investment company Hvalur hf. Hvalur is responsible for the deaths of more than 700 endangered fin whales since 2006.

The coalition website, www.DontBuyFromIcelandicWhalers.com, identifies businesses that purchase seafood from companies linked to Hvalur and provides information for consumers about how to take action against Icelandic whaling.

Consumers and tourists have the power—purchasing power—to end commercial whaling in Iceland.

Wherever you are, don’t buy seafood from companies tied to Icelandic whaling.

And if you visit Iceland, don’t try whale meat. (For more information, Meet Us Don’t Eat Us is a great campaign run by the Association of Icelandic Whale Watchers and IFAW designed to educate tourists about protecting whales rather than tasting them.)

Click here to take action.