Icelandic whalers have killed their first minke whale in 14 years yesterday.
The United States immediately threatened to consider imposing a trade embargo on the North Atlantic island.
The whale was caught in waters west of Iceland by whalers on board the ship Njordur, one of three vessels taking part in the hunt.
"It all went very well. Now they are doing measurements andresearch," said Gisli Vikingsson, of theIcelandic Marine Research Institute.
The three whale boats left port in the early hours on Sunday after receiving their hunting permits on Friday for what the authorities have described as scientific purposes - primarily the impact on fish stocks.
Commercial hunting of whales has been outlawed since 1986because seven of the 13 great whale species are endangered.
Iceland, which ceased whaling in 1989 under internationalpressure, says it must control whales to protect fish stocks and protect the livelihood of its fishermen.
An estimated 43,000 minke whales are believed to live inIcelandic waters, eating two million tons of fish and krillevery year.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the UnitedStates was "extremely disappointed" with Iceland's decision.He said hunting the whales would likely trigger a review bythe Department of Commerce of Iceland's lethal scientificwhaling process programme for possible certification under the Pelly Amendment".
The Pelly certification authorises the US president to ban imports of products from a country cited as undermining an international conservation regime, such as the one maintained by the International Whaling Commission.