I'm back...

...in Iceland that is.
Got in at about 6 am, the weather was lovely, a mild frost, and not too windy, just brisk.
so I took the bus to town and walked to where I'm crashing. Very refreshing, just the thing to wake you up after a long flight.
A bite of skyr, and a walk down to the harbour, and ready for anything.

I go to Iceland on occasion, not as often as I'd like, but usually, for obvious reasons, in summer. less often mid-winter or spring. I think this is the first time in a frighteningly long time that I've been here in late autumn.
There is snow in the mountains, Tjörnin is partly frozen, not enough to skate on but enough to hold an adult swan.

Headlines in the papers showed old men flensing the first fin whale catch of the whaling season. Coverage is fairly aggressively self-righteous, easy first catch and the littler minke hunting boats have also set sail. Quite a daytrip occasion apparently to see the catch brought in, remember doing so as a kid, it is quite a sight to see a 60 ton whale towed in, landed and stripped to the bone.
If it is any consolation, I expect all of it will be used, and not just as expensive whale sashimi.
Secondary coverage was some introspective angst over whether standing on the principle of resuming whaling was pragmatically correct, and what effect it'd have on exports, mainly the new wave of Icelandic pop music now hitting Europe. Might affect the "brand" concept of Iceland as alternative, cool and correct.

Talking of which, the Iceland Airwaves concert series just finished, very high
profile. (I missed it). Looks like dozens local and foreign bands will perform including my SciBlog House Band nominees "We Are Scientists".
See, told you there were trendy...

Good WiFi coverage in town, I am abusing the hospitality of a very trendy music house which lures you in with free coffee and internet - check out Benni Hemm Hemm, apparenrtly the "next Sigur Rós". Must restrain myself from spending too much on rebuilding my old Icelandic punk and blues collection... already hit the handknit woollen shop up the street for the munchkins, and will be hitting 66 North tomorrow for re-outfitting. Winter is coming, time to get serious.

Oh, and apparently Greenland is melting. That could be bad.

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How's the whale hunting going?

By Mustafa Mond, FCD (not verified) on 24 Oct 2006 #permalink

Going well apparently. Second fin whale was caught and landed, even bigger tourist crowd turned out to watch, but weather may be deteriorating so they'll probably slow down for a bit.

Attitude is quite defensive. The fisheries minister is in your face about it, he surprised people with the announcement, except for the owner of the whaling ship who was tipped off so they could come out of mothballs and get the hunt permits. People are angry about that, Good Old Boy system - if they were going to open the hunt it should be open for bids.
Lots of skepticism about the market capacity for whale meat, remains to be seen if anyone will buy this much (60 tons gross per fin whale). I had not realised though that Japan exempted itself from the "no trading" clause, and can import whale meat.
The Left-Green alliance is furious and wants it canceled with apologies, they are definitely staking out a internationalist/environmentalist position.

The intelligentsia is having angst, primarily on pragmatist grounds - is it worth risking tourism and the "brand image" over whaling? General agreement that whaling is manageable and sustainable, Icelanders are very confident in their understanding of sustainable ocean harvesting. Considerable bitterness over perceived foreign hypocrisy - justifiably - a few consequences have already been claimed, an industrial conference announced they'd not have their meeting in Iceland as had been discussed because of whaling, they'd have it in Norway instead...

How is the US whaling going this season?

Have ye seen the white whale?

By Captain Ahab (not verified) on 25 Oct 2006 #permalink