Norway kills 575 whales despite lack of interest
Norway kills 575 minke whales, even though only 2% of the population wants to eat whale meat. Activists describe the killings as “unforgivable.”
Norway’s killing of minke whales has been described as “unforgivable” by activists, and a new survey shows that only 2% of the Norwegian population wants to eat whale meat.
Norway’s whaling season officially ended last Wednesday. According to the Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organisation, whalers have killed 575 whales this season. Last year, hobby hunters slaughtered 503 whales.
Yet the higher number of whales killed has not increased the appetite for whale meat in Norway. The new survey reveals that the proportion of the Norwegian population who said they eat whale meat frequently has dropped to 2%. Not a single respondent under the age of 35 said they eat whale meat frequently.
«This is nothing less than ecocide», said Vanessa Williams-Grey, Policy Manager at Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC). «The killing of hundreds of minke whales is completely unforgivable, especially given the vital role they play in our oceans. Whales are our allies in the fight against climate change.»
Pregnant whales killed
The Norwegian population is also concerned about the way hobby hunters kill whales and the fact that many whales were pregnant when they died.
The survey found that two thirds of respondents consider it unacceptable that almost one in five whales does not die immediately when struck by a harpoon. And 63% found it unacceptable that two thirds of the whales killed were female and almost half of those were pregnant.
«Whales continue to suffer an agonising death from explosive harpoons», said Dr. Siri Martinsen, veterinarian at NOAH, Norway’s largest animal welfare organisation. «It is completely unacceptable that 18% of hunted whales do not die immediately and are left to suffer.»
No-whaling zones demanded
Many of those surveyed felt that whales should be seen as a tourist attraction rather than a food source. 71% of 18- to 24-year-olds believed that Norway should establish whale sanctuary zones, similar to those in Greenland and Iceland.
«Living whales can play an important role in Norway's tourism economy, as Iceland and Greenland have already recognized by establishing protected areas for whales in regions where responsible whale watching and other ecotourism activities take place", said Susan Millward of the Animal Welfare Institute.
Survey: Norway and whale meat
