"I view the taking of a whale's life in the same manner I would view the taking of a human life. It is murder, and it is a crime to slaughter such socially complex intelligent and sensitive sentient beings. The method of killing is torturous and grossly inhumane. We would never tolerate a domestic animal to suffer such a long and painful death. Every person who regards themselves as civilized must express their disgust and their revulsion against the whale killing atrocities of Iceland, Norway, the Faeroes, and Japan. These people who practice this horrific serial killing of whales are the most barbarous representatives of humanity upon this planet and cast shame upon their nations."
- Captain Paul Watson
Founder and President of Sea Shepherd

Iceland killed an endangered fin whale yesterday. This is the first illegal murder of a whale since Iceland announced their intention to violate the global moratorium on commercial whaling.

The whale was swimming happily along some two hundred miles off the coast of Iceland when some Nordic nimrod cowardly slammed an exploding harpoon into its backside.

The whale struggled in incredible pain for a long time before losing strength and finally drowned after an agonizing period when it lungs ruptured and its heart burst from the strain of oxygen deprivation.

There are some who will take offense at our use of the word "murder." We make no apologies.

Whales are highly intelligent, long lived, socially complex, sensitive sentient beings. It is a crime against nature and humanity to cruelly snuff out the life of even one of these great creatures.

What Iceland did is unforgivable and tragic, and leaves us with a deep resentment and anger towards Iceland.

"Every time a whale is killed by a human being, it destroys a little more of my faith in humanity," said Captain Paul Watson. "Killing whales in the 21st Century is a savage, barbaric, ecologically ignorant act of a people who are displaying an incredible contempt and disrespect for life and for world opinion."

Sea Shepherd is calling for a total boycott of all Icelandic products and tourism to Iceland and the Society is already planning a campaign to confront Icelandic whale killers in Icelandic waters in 2007.

"We are recruiting crew and we are organizing a plan to go to Iceland and it will be a priority following our campaign beginning December 1st to oppose the illegal whaling activities of the Japanese whaling fleet in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary.