An intersession meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has yet again postponed decision on the controversial request from Greenland to hunt humpback whales.

Denmark, on behalf of Greenland, requested a hunting quota of 10 humpbacks per year for the next three years at the annual IWC meeting in Portugal last June.

The controversial decision was postponed until the intersession meeting yesterday in Florida. But there were not enough commission members present yesterday to make the quorum. As such, no vote could be held but the IWC said a full discussion on the matter had taken place.

Humpback whales were heavily hunted during the 20th century until a commercial whaling ban was introduced in the 1960s. The ban was extended to aboriginal subsistence hunting in 1987, ending Greenland’s capture of the whales.

In 2008, Greenland was granted a hunting quota for 200 minke whales and 19 fin whales and the IWC recognises the country needs 670 tonnes of whale meat as part of the aboriginal subsistence program.

However, while Greenland is arguing for an increase in its quota to meet the cultural and nutritional requirements of its population, anti-whaling activists have argued an increase is unnecessary.

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