Would you eat whale or dolphin meat after visiting a marine sanctuary?

After visiting a whale sanctuary in Iceland there is also the chance to eat whale at a nearby restaurant. It seems like a bizarre idea, but what are the ethical and culinary implications?

Should you eat whale meat? Reports on Iceland's new retirement home for beluga whales note that, after viewing the animals - rescued from a Shanghai marine park - tourists can then visit a harbourside restaurant where they can dine on whale meat. Last week, Iceland resumed whaling after a three-year hiatus, killing a 20-metre fin whale on the country's west coast.

The Iceland sanctuary has been set up with the assistance of the highly reputable Whale and Dolphin Conservation organisation. Danny Groves of WDC notes that only 3% of Iceland's local population now eat whale. He points out that the country's whale-watching industry far outweighs whaling economically. "The sanctuary ... should be championed as an alternative to the cruel practises of whale and dolphin hunting and the keeping of these animals in captivity," he says.