Skip to content
All articles
  • All articles
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Fundraising
  • Green Whale
  • Kids blogs
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
Dolphins captured for captivity in Taiji. Image: Hans Peter Roth

Loved and killed – whales and dolphins in Japan

Protests and criticism from outside Japan in response to the slaughter of whales and dolphins...
Narwhal with beluga whales

Unusual Whale Adoptions

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Irrawaddy dolphin

Helping fishers protect dolphins in Sarawak, Borneo

Fishing nets are bad news for dolphins and porpoises, so we're working with local fishers...
Dolphin watching from Chanonry Point, Scotland. Image: WDC/Charlie Phillips

Discovering inner peace – whale and dolphin watching and mental wellbeing

Guest blog If you've ever seen whales or dolphins in the wild, you'll know that...
Whale tail

An ocean of hope

In a monumental, jaw-dropping demonstration of global community, the nations of the world made history...
North Atlantic right whale Porcia and her calf.

Critically Endangered Right Whale Babies Spotted

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
The infamous killing cove at Taiji, Japan

Why the Taiji dolphin hunt can never be justified

Supporters of the dolphin slaughter in Japan argue that killing a few hundred dolphins every...
Image: Peter Linforth

Tracking whales from space will help us save them

Satellite technology holds one of the keys to 21st century whale conservation, so we're exploring...

Reykjavik’s maverick mayor speaks up for live whales

Three cheers for current mayor of Reykjavik, Jon Gnarr, for being so refreshingly honest and open in his opinions, unfettered by the personal or corporate agendas which routinely bedevil most public figures who deliver only the party line and often leave us wondering how much, if anything, they genuinely mean.

Jon is a breath of fresh air in this respect: a recent posting on his Facebook page leaves no doubt about his stance on conservation and environmental issues. His post is short and to the point:

“Stop whaling fin whales. Stop killing polar bears. Stop seeing global warming as an “opportunity” for Iceland. Don’t drill for oil or gas. Focus on sustainable tourism and creative industries. Take a responsible lead in matters concerning global warming and the Arctic.”

In a later post, he states that Icelanders eat whale meat only rarely and that it is a misconception that Iceland has whaled for centuries (in fact only since 1948).  Whaling, says Gnarr, is a bad business idea and people should watch whales but not touch them.

Outspoken and creative, Jon was an actor, comedian and writer who tapped into widespread public disillusionment with politics and corruption following the 2008 banking collapse. In 2009, he created a new political party, Besti Flokkurinn (The Best Party) which openly took a swipe at the politicians and bankers who had presided over the previous economic chaos.  Six months later, his party won the 2010 city council election, defeating the Independence Party and stunning the establishment. Hence this maverick – anarchist, humanist, environmentalist – became mayor of Reykjavik.

Of course, a party established primarily to satirise the political ‘old guard’ – blamed by most for the economic meltdown – and thus effectively offering a ‘protest vote’, will have its share of detractors as well as avid supporters. Naturally, Gnarr and his party could not solve overnight the deep-seated problems in the Icelandic economy and the way Iceland does business: but what he has done is to rally support for the process of challenging the old ways. His term of office ends this summer, but my hope is that we will not lose his voice from public life. Those who have the courage to speak out and challenge corruption and cronyism should be treasured, as they are rare indeed.  We need more such.

 

 

About Vanessa Williams-Grey

Policy manager - Stop Whaling and Responsible Whale Watching