In spite of a worldwide moratorium on the hunting of great whale species Iceland is evidently set to resume commercial whaling next month. The target catch is the fin whale, the second largest mammal on the planet after the blue whale. The fin whale is listed as an endangered species and is stated by many experts as being close to extinction, though that is clearly of no consequence to either the Icelandic government or their main customer, Japan.

In the absence of any alternative human food source perhaps the hunting of whales would be understandable. Perhaps, though that is certainly not the case here. I may be mistaken, but I cannot recall any headlines relating to starving multitudes in either Iceland or Japan, can you?

The most sickening part of this story is the fact that the leading buyer of the whale meat is a company called Michinoku Farms, a Japanese company which specialises in the production of dog snacks. Apparently, affluent Japanese like to demonstrate their wealth by buying unusual and exotic foodstuffs for their pets and, in Japan, whale meat fits the bill perfectly.

We may be the most intelligent species on the planet but our intelligence is more than matched by our vanity and vacuity.