Reykjavík, Sep 16 (IANS) The European Union (EU) led a joint multi-country opposition against the Iceland government's permission for commercial whale hunting and trading Monday, according to a statement issued by the EU.

EU's Ambassador to Iceland, Matthias Brinkmann, along with diplomats of the US, France, Germany and Britain delivered a joint demarche Monday morning to express their opposition to Iceland's increasing commercial whale hunting and ongoing trading, Xinhua reported.

The demarche by the EU's 28 member states and the governments of the US, Australia, Brazil, Israel, New Zealand, Mexico, and Monaco showed their disappointment to the Iceland's continued authorisation of whaling, particularly fin and minke whales.

They asked the country to adhere to the internationally agreed moratorium on commercial whaling and to re-examine the decision to continue to issue fin and minke whale quotas.

As stated on the demarche, Iceland hunted 125 fin whales in 2009, 148 fin whales in 2010, and 134 fin whales in 2013.