Norway's Whaling Five Month Season Began

By Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (North America)

Apr 2, 2007 at 08:14


Around 30 boats are licensed to take part in the hunt which can kill more than a thousand minke whales during a five month season starting on 1st April. Despite an international ban on commercial whaling, Norway has continued to hunt minke whales in the North Atlantic since 1993 through a legal ‘objection' lodged against the ban and has increased its self allocated quota at an alarming rate in recent years, from 670 in 2004 to 796 in 2005 up to 1052 in 2007.

"Norway has raised its self-allocated quota year after year, despite international condemnation of its commercial whaling. But demand is falling for whale meat in Norway, like everywhere else, and last years' season showed that this is a wasteful and unnecessary industry. We hope that this year they again fail to kill the number of animals they have allocated and consider stopping the hunt altogether," commented Sue Fisher, WDCS' US Policy Director, an international whale protection charity(...)

Not only does Norway's continued commercial whaling threaten a potentially lucrative growth in the whale-watching industry, but has cost the Government in subsidies including fuel tax exemption, storage of and processing of blubber (for which there is no domestic market) and millions of kroner on research pay-outs....


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WHALE MEAT: NEWS FROM THE FISHERY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
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Information Norwegian Animal Protection Alliance - April 11, 2007 : At present, the market for whale meat is limited. New efforts, highlighted in a report from the Fishery Research Institute, ”can however increase both the turnover and the catching of whale meat”. In the report, it is suggested to extend the catching season and start a project that includes all aspects in the chain of production. This will help to better the quality, distribution and the turnover of the meat. Another suggestion is to strengthen the marketing efforts so that whale meat again will be a popular choice of food in Norway.
(Source: 2http://www.fiskforsk.norut.no/ fiskeriforskning/nyheter/ nyhetsarkiv/kt_omsetning_av_kvalkj_tt )

Source: Norway's Whaling Five Month Season Began

Link: The Nicaraguan government announced yesterday it will not support whaling in the upcoming reunion of the International Whaling Commission. They informed in a statement that the government is in favor of whale preservation and protection


Other EVANA-articles about this topic:
Nicaragua: Gobierno repudia caza de ballenas (es)

Norway: Whalers offered a free show to speechless tourists: Live killings (en)