Buy a whale's life on ebay

You would probably not want one of the "items" put up for sale on the online auction website ebay recently delivered to your home should you win the bid.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has launched a campaign on ebay this week urging the public to help save the life of an endangered fin whale by bidding for its freedom.

Bids start at £10 but the campaigners are hoping to raise at least $180,000, roughly what the meat of one fin whale sells for in Iceland.

Unless some rich benefactor decides to make a single bid, which will cover the whole sum or at least the lion's share of it, WSPA is hoping that small bids will do the trick.

Iceland's return to commercial whaling after a 20-year halt has attracted protests from many quarters.

Since October 17, the WSPA said when launching the campaign, five endangered fin whales have been killed and the hunting quota allows the killing of a further 30 minke whales and four fin whales by explosive harpoon.

The charity said that with some whales taking over an hour to die, there is no humane way to kill them at sea.

The idea behind the bid is a symbolic one. WSPA says it wants to show Iceland how much opposition there is to whaling by offering its government the market value of one fin whale and in return ensure its life is spared.

Bids can be placed on ebay via www.wspa-international.org The auction closes on Saturday.

If Iceland does not accept the payment, the money raised will go directly to WSPA's anti-whaling campaign.