"Market conditions" will determine the size of any whaling quotas set by the Icelandic government, a Fisheries Ministry official said Friday, according to dpa. The traditional whaling season opens in May, but the minister of fisheries has "not decided" yet on any quotas, Stefan Asmundsson, head of the International Affairs Office at the ministry, said. In 2006 Reykjavik approved the killing of 39 minke whales and nine fin whales for commercial purposes after a break of more than 20 years, although it allowed whale hunting for research. In August 2007 Fisheries Minister Einar Gudfinsson said no new quotas were to be set citing weak demand for whale meat after commercial whalers caught seven whales of each species. Asmundsson said the domestic demand would likely be key in the quota decision since "exports were not very big in recent times." The whale research programme of 200 animals concluded last autumn. Asmundsson, who is also whaling commissioner, said possible whaling quotas would be "sustainable" in accordance with the North Atlantic nation's policy of ensuring that "all living marine resources" were harvested in a sustainable manner. At present it was unlikely the government would move to allow hunting of other species than minke whales and fin whales, he said. Minke whales are the smallest of the seven great whales. They are up to 11 metres long, and can weigh about 8 tons. The fin whale is the second largest of the seven great whales. They are up to 24 metres long, and can weigh between 45 and 64 tons.
