Thriving alongside this commercial anthropomorphism is their commodity status in Iceland as food and sustenance, as these animals have traditionally been, and still are, eaten by the inhabitants. Cetaceans and puffins are used to market wildlife tourism and specific regions and to sell souvenirs, and in the process are personified and made amicable. The discussion in this chapter draws on these contradictory practices of commodification set within a flourishing tourism industry.Ībstract = "This chapter focuses on the island nation of Iceland (population 333,000) and considers the ways in which charismatic marine fauna such as cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) and puffins have become iconic and symbolically significant objects of exchange in tourism marketing on the island. Paradoxically, the eating of whale and puffin meat has become a tourist attraction in itself, in tandem with the very rapid growth of the tourist industry in the country and the concomitant growth in whale and puffin watching in the most recent years. And then we can happily “hunt” them for as long as we like to the horror of every sissy American tourist.This chapter focuses on the island nation of Iceland (population 333,000) and considers the ways in which charismatic marine fauna such as cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) and puffins have become iconic and symbolically significant objects of exchange in tourism marketing on the island. It basically breaks down to this: stop killing the puffins for a few years until the population gets back on its orange feet. As far as we know, the remaining two birds were killed on Eldey, an island south of Iceland in 1843. Right up until it was hunted to extinction. The Great Auk, a penguin like bird about 80 cm tall, was formerly a traditional food of Iceland. And not to mention also making up a significant portion of their diet.Ĭultures change. But for them, harvesting the aforementioned animals happens to be among the pillars on which their society is based. Greenlanders have used the cultural card to justify their whale, polar bear and seal hunting. Stopping altogether seems not to be an option in the average islander’s view. The local hunters have convened and graciously offered to cut the hunting days down to only ten a year, which the mayor claims to be responsible, and bordering on self-sustaining. Elliði Vignisson, mayor of Westman Islands, is quoted as saying that although no one makes a living out of puffin catching, and it is not about the money, they still want to keep the tradition alive, claiming it to a cultural thing. Mind you, it’s not because of the fishy, gamy taste. The Westman Islands puffin even qualifies as an endangered species now experts are suggesting a ban on puffin hunting for some years. And with the islands being the puffins’ single largest breeding colony in the world, this is some potentially grave news. A recent report shows an alarming 25% decrease in the Westman Islands’ puffin population over the last four years. However, our Puffin binge may be coming to a close. The meat is dark and the flavour has been described as “a fishier, gamier version of chicken”. Of course there are also tourists who have no reservations about ordering a plate of puffin. Perhaps catching would be a more appropriate term?). So, brushing off indignant remarks, Icelanders have continued “hunting” the charming puffin without reserve or shame (note that I put hunting in quotation marks here, for it is not a very macho affair, involving nets instead of guns. Anyone seen Babe: The Movie? And you still eat bacon? But research suggests that pigs are also quite clever. Whales are supposedly highly intelligent beings and should therefore not be eaten. The cuteness argument resonates with the arguments that folks use against whaling. And secondly, is cuteness really a reason for not eating something? Lambs are cute. In the first place, there really aren’t that many animals in Iceland. Upon hearing such remarks, we Icelanders usually shake our heads and mumble something about our ancestors not surviving on this barren rock for a thousand years by limiting their diet to ugly animals. The reason? Puffins are cute, and should therefore not be eaten. Working at a seafood restaurant in Reykjavík has taught me one thing: a lot of tourists (and, for some reason, especially American ones) shudder at the thought of eating puffin.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |