Both mammals are on the endangered species list drawn up by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, but Iceland insisted the quota would not hurt what it termed "abundant" stocks in the North Atlantic.

Norway, until now the only country to openly engage in commercial whaling, on Wednesday hailed Iceland's decision to resume the practice.

"There are very good reasons to authorize the hunt," Karsten Klepsvik, Norway's representative to the IWC, told AFP.

Iceland's decision "helps normalise the whaling issue", he said.

Japan declined to comment directly on Iceland's decision but said it supported commercial whaling.

"The Japanese government has nothing to say officially with regards to Iceland's decision, but we share the opinion that sustainable commercial whaling is possible in certain species," fisheries agency official Hideaki Okada said.

An International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling has been in force since 1986. Iceland left the IWC in 1992 but re-joined in 2002, saying, like Norway, it would not be bound by the moratorium.

Japan officially complies with the ban, but it uses a loophole that allows countries to kill whales for research, with the meat in fact ending up on dinner plates.

Whaling nations argue that the species of whale they hunt are abundant and exist in sufficient numbers to pose a threat to fish stocks.

According to official estimates, there are close to 70,000 minke whales and some 25,800 fin whales in the North Atlantic. Fin whales are the second biggest cetaceans after the endangered and rare blue whale.

"These are conservative estimates but, even with these numbers, it is obvious that the volume allowed by quotas do not threaten the survival of these species," spokesman for the pro-whaling group High North Alliance Rune Froevik told AFP.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) slammed Iceland's decision.

"We're disappointed by this development and disturbed by it because the amount of whaling is increasing," the IUCN's representative on whaling, Justin Cooke, told AFP.

Both France and New Zealand objected to the Icelandic decision.

Norway has authorised whalers to hunt 1,052 minke whales in the 2006 season, the biggest quota allowed since the Scandinavian country decided to resume the commercial hunt in 1993.

But Norwegian whalers have failed to fill their quotas for several years, citing poor weather conditions, the high price of petrol and a saturated processing industry for whale meat.

Opponents of the whale hunt say there is no market for whale meat.

Considered poor man's food after World War II, whale meat is now rarely eaten in Norway.

Japan, where whale meat remains popular, has also increased the size of its authorised catch. The only sizeable market for whale products, Japan continues nonetheless to refuse to import Norwegian exports of the animal.

In June, under pressure from Tokyo and Oslo, the IWC narrowly passed a resolution declaring that the 20-year-old moratorium on commercial hunting was "no longer necessary". However, a 75 percent majority is needed for the moratorium to be overturned.

related report
With Iceland boost, Japan calls for commercial whaling
Tokyo (AFP) Oct 18 - Japan on Wednesday renewed its calls to allow commercial whaling after winning a boost from Iceland, which said it would hunt in defiance of an international moratorium.

Japan officially complies with the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling. But it uses a loophole that allows countries to kill whales for research, with the meat ending up on dinner plates.

Iceland said Tuesday it would issue licenses for commercial whaling, becoming only the second nation after Norway to defy outright the international moratorium that took effect in 1986.

Japan declined to comment directly on Iceland's decision but said it supported commercial whaling.

"The Japanese government has nothing to say officially with regards to Iceland's decision, but we share the opinion that sustainable commercial whaling is possible in certain species," said fisheries agency official Hideaki Okada.

"Japan has been complying with the moratorium on commercial whaling under the IWC, and nothing will drastically change in our policy following Iceland's decision," he said.

Iceland had previously shared Japan's position that its whaling was for "scientific" purposes.

Iceland will issue licenses to hunt nine fin whales and 30 minke whales over the 12 months from September this year.

Japan kills about 850 minke whales a year, along with 10 each of larger humpback and fin whales. Norway, which resumed commercial whaling in 1993, set an upper limit of 1,052 animals to be hunted this year.

Western environmentalists, who say hunting is cruel and will drive the animals to extinction, routinely harass Japanese whalers as they hunt in Antarctic waters near Australia and New Zealand.

Japan, while stressing that it complies with the IWC, argues that Western criticism is intolerant of its culture.

Japan has actively lobbied to resume commercial whaling. In June, pro-whaling nations won their first victory in 20 years as an IWC meeting passed a non-binding resolution saying the moratorium was no longer needed.

related report
Norway hails Iceland's return to commercial whaling
Oslo (AFP) Oct 18 - Norway, until now the only country to openly conduct commercial whaling, on Wednesday hailed Iceland's decision to resume the controversial practice after a 16-year suspension.

The Icelandic government announced on Tuesday it would allow its whalers to hunt 30 minke whales and nine fin whales, primarily for export purposes.

The fin whale, the second biggest whale after the blue whale, is on the endangered species list, but Reykjavik insisted that the quota would not hurt what it termed "abundant" stocks in the North Atlantic.

An International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling has been in force since 1986. Iceland left the IWC in 1992 but rejoined in 2002, saying it would not be bound by the moratorium.

"There are very good reasons to authorize the hunt," Karsten Klepsvik, Norway's representative to the IWC, told AFP.

Iceland's decision "helps normalise the whaling issue", he said.

Norway has authorized whalers to hunt 1,052 minke whales in the 2006 season, the biggest quota allowed since the Scandinavian country decided to resume the commercial hunt in 1993.

But Norwegian whalers have failed to fill their quotas for several years in a row, citing poor weather conditions, the high price of petrol and a saturated market for whale meat.

Opponents of the whale hunt say the latter shows a lack of interest for whale meat.

Considered poor man's food after World War II, whale meat is now rarely eaten in Norway and the industry employs only several dozen people.

According to official estimates, there are close to 70,000 minke whales and some 25,800 fin whales in the North Atlantic.

In June, the IWC narrowly passed a resolution declaring that the 20-year-old moratorium on commercial hunting was "no longer necessary". However, a 75 percent majority is needed for the moratorium to be overturned.

Japan, which carries out whaling for what it claims is scientific research, declined to comment directly on Iceland's decision but said it supported commercial whaling.

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