VZCZCXRO5492
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHRK #0104 1611523
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 101523Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4088
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0040
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0021
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0001

UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000104 
 
STATE FOR OES LISA PHELPS AND MAGGIE HAYES AND EUR/NB 
USDOC FOR NMFS CHERI MCCARTY 
TOKYO FOR BART COBBS 
COPENHAGEN FOR ESTH HUB 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EFIS KSCA PREL IWC ETRD IC
SUBJECT: ICELANDIC PRIORITIES REVEALED FOR INTERNATIONAL WHALING 
COMMISSION MEETING 
 
REF: STATE 57029 
 
¶1. (U) Emboff met with Iceland's Commissioner to the International 
Whaling Commission (IWC) Tomas Heidar and Director of the Ministry 
for Foreign Affairs' Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs 
Department Jon Egill Egilsson on June 9 to relay reftel points and 
elicit Iceland's priorities for the annual IWC meeting in Portugal. 
Iceland's responses are keyed to reftel.  The official delegation 
will consist of four members: Tomas Heidar; Gisli Vikingsson, a 
scientist from the Marine Research Institute; Kristjan Loftsson, 
owner of the whaling company Hvalur, which is the only company with 
the capacity to hunt large whales such as fin whales; and a fourth, 
unspecified person. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Begin responses to reftel (note internal numbering): 
9a. Heidar said in the report of the SWG, there is a footnote 
indicating a reservation by two countries, one of which is Iceland. 
Although Heidar described the footnote as inaccurate in detail, he 
said the principal meaning was conveyed.  The Icelandic delegation 
is concerned about the two stage process -- first separating Japan 
and sanctuaries in one stage and then moving on to a second stage on 
general rules.  In Iceland's view, the "Future" process should be 
combined in a single package. 
 
9b. Heidar said that the meetings should be closed to observers and 
for states only.  He clarified that Iceland has no difficulty 
speaking in front of observers, but it is their experience that 
others might not speak their mind in an open meeting. 
 
9c. Heidar said it would be more realistic to limit the number of 
participants in these discussions to the number of countries that 
are most affected.  He further clarified this as meaning whaling 
countries and "the most outspoken on the other side" and a group of 
countries committed to the process. 
 
9d. Heidar's recommendation for a Chair was that he/she be balanced. 
 He asked about rumors that current Chair Dr. Bill Hogarth's term 
would be extended.  Heidar said that Iceland would be willing to let 
Hogarth continue if the election is postponed.  Iceland will not 
present a candidate.  Heidar also said the Nordic group had met and 
there is no confirmed candidate from the group. 
 
10a. Heidar and Egilsson thought the chair of the SWG had been 
effective. 
 
10b. Heidar and Egilsson did not have any recommendations regarding 
the chairmanship of the SWG. 
 
16a. Heidar and Egilsson both emphatically said the GOI is not 
involved in the trade of whale products: "the GOI does not further 
trade or hinder it."  Rather, "trade is open and left to private 
parties to establish." 
 
16b. Heidar said there is no change in the principle behind 
Iceland's whaling; "we are conducting sustainable whaling...that 
means it is conservation as it's based on scientific advice." 
Heidar said that for GOI there are just two kinds of whaling -- 
sustainable and not sustainable.  He said that is how whaling should 
be defined and sustainability should be kept in mind when talking 
about aboriginal whaling or research whaling.  Heidar clarified that 
there are no changes this year to whaling but that future whaling 
had not been decided. 
 
End responses to reftel. 
 
KLOPFENSTEIN