Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 7:25:54 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Whale Meat Makes Comeback in Iceland

Posted Sep 2, 08 9:16 AM CDT in World,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – Illegal for two decades, whale meat is back on menus in Iceland, and entrepreneurs are hoping to turn young people on to its charms, the Wall Street Journal reports. The food is reminiscent of beef, but costs only half as much—perhaps a mark in its favor for the young. Still, encouraging them to try the stuff is difficult. “It's not going to happen,” says one 20-year-old.

Commercial whaling was banned in 1986, but 2 years ago, Icelandic authorities deemed the animals’ population big enough to resume the tradition. “It's part of this nation,” says an ex-fisherman. Iceland and Japan are two of the few countries that hunt whales; Japan is also trying to spark interest in the meat among young people, using it in school lunches.

Source Wall Street Journal

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Whales Fall as Hunt Resumes

    Feb 1, 08 9:45 AM CST
    Whales Fall as Hunt Resumes Japanese whalers have resumed their hunt in Antarctic waters, killing at least five whales when protest ships pulled back to refuel, the Australian News Network reports. Witnesses reported seeing the whales harpooned in the Southern Ocean after ships from Greenpeace and another protest group withdrew. In Tokyo, the Australian foreign minister protested the resumed hunt. More »

  • Greenpeace Ship Scatters Japanese Whalers

    Jan 14, 08 4:04 AM CST
    Greenpeace Ship Scatters Japanese Whalers The Greenpeace pursuit of Japanese whaling ships continued yesterday after a ship operated by the environmental group earlier chased down and scattered a fleet of six Japanese whaling vessels in the waters off Antarctica. The Japanese fleet plans to hunt down 1,000 whales in what operators call a "scientific" expedition, but Greenpeace officials consider a thin cover for commercial whaling. More »

  • Japan Backs Down on Whaling

    Dec 21, 07 7:35 AM CST
    Japan Backs Down on Whaling In its first-ever turnaround on whaling, the Japanese government has dropped its plans to hunt humpbacks. The about-face is a victory for Kevin Rudd, the new Australian prime minister, who had objected strenuously and ordered a patrol of the humpback hunt. Tokyo said, however, that the fleet currently en route to the Antarctic Ocean will hunt almost 1,000 whales of other species, including the giant fin whale. More »

  • Japan Sends Mixed Signals on Whale Hunt

    Nov 24, 07 3:25 PM CST
    Japan Sends Mixed Signals on Whale Hunt Japan has a ready defense for its internationally maligned whale hunt: Whaling is integral to Japanese culture, embedded in the country's traditional diet, literature, and religion. Yet this argument looks questionable in light of the Japanese government's refusal to allow indigenous people to continue their traditional salmon fishing, writes Bruce Wallace in an analysis for the LA Times. More »

  • New Zealand to Japanese Whalers: Go Home!

    Nov 19, 07 3:42 AM CST
    New Zealand to Japanese Whalers: Go Home! As a Japanese whaling fleet churned to Antarctic waters, a furious New Zealand prime minister today blasted the "deception" of Japan's claim that the killing ships will conduct research rather than commercial whaling. It would be better "if the Japanese stayed home," said Helen Clark. The fleet will catch over 1,000 whales, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. More »

A Japanese woman sells pieces of dried whale meat on June 21, 2007.   (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
International Whaling Commission chair Bill Hogarth, center, addresses delegates from Japan and Iceland in Alaska.   (AP Photo/Michael Dinneen)
Minke whales like this one are back on the menu in Iceland.   (AP Photo/IFAW)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 3)

Tags

Japan • food • meat • Iceland • whale • whaling


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Arts & Living Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »