The late taoiseach Charles Haughey’s former yacht Celtic Mist is to leave Dublin Bay on Friday for its longest voyage north on a whale research trip to Iceland. The 16m ketch, donated by the Haughey family to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), is undertaking the 4,000km round trip to share research on humpback whales with colleagues in Iceland. Iceland and Norway have both authorised whaling in spite of a 1986 moratorium by the International Whaling Commission, focusing mainly on minke catches. However, Iceland has also authorised limited resumption of hunting for fin whales – an endangered species – after a two-year pause. Humpback whales, which share Irish and Icelandic waters, are the focus of Iceland’s whale watching industry.

Source: The Irish Times May 24, 2018 16:52 UTC