Nanaimo, Oct 16, 2018 (Issuewire.com) - One of the world's most celebrated and accomplished conservation photographers will not be traveling to Iceland despite receiving an invitation from The Exploration Museum to collect an award.
"While it's a great honor to receive the 2018 Leif Erikson Exploration History Award from the Exploration Museum in Húsavík," says Cristina Mittermeier, Co-Founder and Vision Lead for SeaLegacy, a global non-profit ocean conservation organization, based on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. "I cannot in good conscience visit Iceland given the lack of action by the Icelandic government to end the barbaric hunting of endangered whales."
SeaLegacy's recent #StopTheHunt campaign asked people around the world to choose tourism over whaling. In less than ten days, an overwhelming 208,961 people committed to making that choice. The signatures were delivered to the International Whaling Commission in Florianopolis, Brazil on September 14. The campaign was a collaborative effort between SeaLegacy, The BlueSphere Foundation, and The Oceanic Preservation Society.
At the same convening of the IWC, Japan's proposal to resume commercial whaling was rejected by a vote of 41 - 27. Their proposal threatened the international ban on commercial whaling, which has been in place since 1986. Iceland remains in contravention of this ban by continuing to allow Hvalur hf. to hunt fin whales.
"I committed along with more than 200,000 other people. If we are going to make an impact, we need to do more than talk or put our names on lists. I will not be contributing to Iceland's tourism economy as long as the country continues this practice," says Mittermeier. "It's unfortunate that The Exploration Museum becomes caught in the cross-hairs. My boycott of Iceland is in no way a reflection on the value of their work or their position on the issue, nor is it reflective of our feelings towards the Icelandic people."
The Exploration Museum gave this award to Mittermeier "For her significant literary and photography works on environmental issues and the relationship between human cultures and biodiversity," said Francesco Perini, Curator of The Exploration Museum.
SeaLegacy was founded in 2014 by Mittermeier and her partner Paul Nicklen. Mittermeier has been hailed as one of the most important outdoor photographers of this generation and has dedicated her life to ocean conservation. She is an assignment photographer for National Geographic, a Sony Artisan of Imagery and a sought-after keynote speaker.
"I cannot stand by and watch as one of the most majestic creatures on earth is killed for quite literally no reason. I cannot be "Inspired by Iceland" when the government is not doing their part. "
The Leif Erikson Exploration Awards honors the Icelandic Viking, the first man to set foot on the American continent. There are three awards categories. The Exploration Award is given to an explorer for a recent or outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of exploration; The Young Explorer Award, is granted to an explorer under the age of 30 for great achievements in exploration and The Exploration History Award of which Mittermeier is the 2018 Recipient, is awarded to a person or an organization that has worked to promote and preserve exploration history.
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