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Norway’s government allows hunters to kill over 1200 whales this year

Norway has announced that its whalers can once again kill up to 1,278 whales this year (the same quota number as 2020).

Norway’s government allows the minke whale hunts to go ahead under an 'objection' to the global ban on commercial whaling, and whalers continue to carry out this slaughter despite falling demand for whale meat in the country and a decline in the number of boats hunting each year.

During Norway’s 2020 season, over 500 whales were killed. The government also relaxed several whaling regulations so that more fishing vessels could join the hunt.

The government has subsidised the country’s whaling industry and strongly promoted whale meat consumption. Substantial government grants have been given to promote whale meat at food festivals and in schools. Other strategies include attempting to offload surplus whale meat to the homeless.

A 2019 survey into domestic consumption, part-funded by WDC, confirmed this tread, revealing that only 4% of Norwegians regularly eat whale meat, whilst two-thirds either didn’t eat it at all or only did so ‘a long time ago’.  75% of 18-29 year-olds said they never eat whale meat or only did so ‘a long time ago’.

 

A minke whale is hauled aboard by hunters

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4 Comments

  1. Kari Anne McCreath on 3rd April 2021 at 2:32 pm

    How can we lobby against the Norwegian government?

    Surely there are international fishing laws that kick in / can be applied here?

    Surely they know it’s 2021 and this practice is completely inhumane.

    As a non-resident of Norway is there anything we can do / anyone we can write to?

    • Julia Pix on 14th April 2021 at 10:52 am

      From Vanessa (I believe you have been in touch with one another by email):

      Hi Kari

      I’m Vanessa and I head our campaign to end whaling off Norway. Thank you for contacting us to raise your concerns about whaling and ask how best you can help. The shocking scenes you mention in Seaspiracy – showing pilot whales and other small cetaceans being brutally slaughtered – are part of the annual grinds off the Faroe Islands (which is a territory belonging to Denmark). However Norwegian whalers also kill whales – from April each year, hundreds of minke whales are killed in the waters off northern Norway.

      WDC is working hard to end these hunts and we will be enlisting the help of active supporters such as yourself in coming months as we expose the links between seafood and minke whaling. We will also be rebutting the ‘justifications’ for whaling often put out by the Norwegian govt – and in particular, by Fisheries Minister, Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen – that claim that their minke whaling is ‘sustainable’ and that, as the whales compete with humans for ever-scarcer fish resources, culling whales is necessary in order to preserve fish stocks. Neither assertion is true and in fact, whales play a vital role in maintaining the health of our ocean and thus supporting us in the battle against climate change! Please see our website for more information on this including: https://uk.whales.org/green-whale/

      Please keep in touch with us via our newsletters and social media – we really do appreciate the support of passionate advocates for whales such as yourself.

      Thanks and best wishes
      Vanessa

  2. Jeff Jacks on 3rd April 2021 at 3:14 pm

    It’s the same old story…. the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing!!!
    People sit in their various parliaments all getting worked up about these nasty culling / killing acts, and nothing of any worth comes out of it.
    Sorry but the fishermen of Iceland will have to train in other work. All over the world we adult humans try to teach the next generation of young adults some global truths about the care for creatures not just of the ocean,
    but on the land mass we call home.
    Whales and dolphins are living thinking creatures, unlike Tuna….. or other general aquatic species, of which Turtles
    should be respected too… in a different direction.
    And we get the ….”well we’ve always done it… and our boats need to be kept busy!!!!”’
    I’m sorry but I’m very very pessimistic about our planet.
    People still leave their rubbish behind in the beaches, parks, you name it!!!….
    l would like to donate but need to know where and how any monies are used to combat the whale problem.
    Quite possibly drilling holes under the cover of darkness re the fishermen’s large vessels!
    But only of course if one can swim!……or
    maybe train up a Dolphin hit squad !
    Now that would get folks attention.
    Yours, as repeated… a very very angry intelligent human.

  3. Karen Waaka on 4th April 2021 at 4:08 pm

    THIS SLAUGHTING OF WHALES IS UNNECESSARY NOR NEEDED AND IT NEEDS TO STOP. HUMANS ARE KILLING THE WORLD.” OUR WORLD “

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