March 20, 11:15 p.m. | Updated A couple of readers have noted a news release from the government of Iceland explaining that the records showing shipments of whale meal to Denmark were in error and the shipments were actually fishmeal. Here’s the relevant quote:

Regarding the alleged illegal exports of whale meal to Denmark, it has now been confirmed that the two shipments, 775 kilos of meal in January 2009 and 22,750 kilos of meal in March 2009, were fish meal, wrongly quoted in export declarations by the Icelandic exporter as whale meal. Statistics Iceland has confirmed that this will be corrected on their website, effective on 31 March 2010 when revised figures for 2009 will be published. Information regarding this matter will also be conveyed to the Danish Authorities.

March 19 | This is a query for contacts in Denmark or around the European Union who might know whether there’s any way to track how ground-up whale, called whale meal, ends up being used after it’s imported from Iceland.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society has posted Icelandic government records showing sales of whale meat, oil and meal included about 26 tons of whale meal bound for Denmark in 2009. The shipments are part of a growing international trade in whale and whale products — Japan is by far the dominant buyer — that has prompted growing criticism from the conservation group and other whale campaigners.

“Iceland has apparently returned to the business of mincing whales to make meal, and seems to be testing out potential markets for their products,” said Chris Butler-Stroud of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. “All governments must be vigilant and take the strongest possible steps to prevent this trade continuing.”

The group issued a news release laying out its concerns about the whale-meal trade, particularly whether this kind of product can be tracked so consumers of pork, fish or other products can be sure they’re not indirectly consuming whale:

In a 2009 interview with local news media, in a response to a question about the profitability of whaling, the owner of Iceland’s fin whaling company indicated that while whale meat is the most valuable product, processed whale products such as melted fat and pulverized whale bone could be turned into “meat meal and then mixed with other meal…” (link is in Icelandic).

W.D.C.S. is asking that if Iceland was successful in getting its whale meal into Denmark, how was the meal then used?

Traditionally whale meal was used to feed pigs and potentially now could also be used to feed fish in fish farms. But whilst Iceland says it exported this meal, did it arrive and if it did, what happened to it?

EC Feed Hygiene Regulation (EC 183/2005), which was meant to improve both feed safety and traceability, should ensure the ability of EC inspectors to determine whether Iceland’s whale meal entered the food chain in Denmark, although last week the U.K. Food Standards Agency issued a call for consultation on the need for clearer guidelines on record keeping requirements for feed use.

I have sent queries to Danish environmental officials and will update this post when there is a response. Here’s video shot last year of Iceland’s fleet hauling in some fin whales, the world’s second-biggest whale species: