Greenpeace spokesman Frode Pleym told AFP the organisation hoped to meet with Icelanders to convince them to help bring about an end to whaling.

Iceland resumed whaling in mid-August, ending a 14-year moratorium in defiance of world opinion. Iceland's fisheries ministry has authorised the killing of 38 minke whales between August 15 and September 30.

So far, 10 minke whales have been killed.

"Whilst we don't expect to change everyone's minds, Greenpeace hopes that we are able to give many Icelanders the confidence to say no to whaling -- forever," Greenpeace executive director Gerd Leipold said in a statement on the group's website.

"A clear message must go to the Icelandic government -- globally, as well as directly from the people of Iceland -- that this will not be tolerated," he said.

"Whaling is part of Iceland's past, and must remain so," he said, adding: "Iceland can make more money from whale watching than whale killing and should be doing all it can to protect those whales in its seas."

Gisli Vikingsson, project manager at the Icelandic Marine Research Institute, said he expected whalers to have no problems reaching their quota by the end of September.

Icelandic authorities say the hunt will help provide information on the feeding habits of the minke whales by allowing scientists to study the animals' stomach contents.

Whalers are obliged to take samples from a wide region around Iceland.

Scientists say the information is needed to draw up an accurate estimate of the Icelandic fish resources on which the whales feed.

Scientists also hope to discover the age, health and reproductive systems of the whales, as well as their exposure to persistent pollutants such as organochlorines.

TERRA.WIRE