Return of the whale hunters.

• Position: International - Iceland to hunt minke whales for research purposes

Despite an outcry from animal-rights groups, Iceland is hunting whales for research. The nation's Marine Research Institute, a government agency, plans to oversee the hunting of 200 minke whales over two years. Scientists plan to analyze the content of the whales' stomachs and determine how much fish a typical minke whale eats. They believe the 43,000 whales living near Iceland eat up to 2 million tons Of fish each year. A more precise figure, the government says, will help it better manage Iceland's precious fish stocks. Animal-rights groups are rallying opposition, trying to persuade Icelanders that killing whales (which are mammals) is not the same as killing cod...