Commercial whaling is practised intermittently[64][65] along with scientific whale hunts.[66] Whale watching has become an important part of Iceland's economy since 1997.[67] In early 2010, Iceland's proposed quota in killing fin whales was much larger than the amount of whale meat the Japanese market could absorb.[citation needed] In negotiations with Marc Wall, Economic Minister-Counselor at the US embassy in Tokyo, Jun Yamashita of the Japanese Fisheries Agencies, however, rejected a proposal to suggest to Iceland to reduce the number of killed fin whales to a lower number.[68]
Politics[edit]