Whaling environmentally-friendly, says whaler

[Guest guest]

High North Alliance

 

Norwegian whaling season finished: Only 487 whales caught

 

High North Web News (11 Sep 2000): Norwegian whalers failed to fulfil

their quota this year, taking only 487 minke whales out of the quota of

655. This is down from a catch of 589 whales last year.

 

" This poor result is a combination of several factors, among others poor

management measures and unfavourable weather conditions, " said Jan

Kristiansen, chairman of the Norwegian Whalers' Union, to the High North

Web News. A calm sea is required for a successful hunt.

 

In the northern management areas, Spitzbergen, Barents Sea and

Vestfjorden/Lofoten, the whole quota was taken. At Jan Mayen, the hunters

took seven less than their quota allows.

 

The catch was especially low in the North Sea, where only 83 whales of a

quota of 244 were taken.

 

" The North Sea is a problem, " said Kristiansen. Many whalers are reluctant

to go to this area due to unfamiliarity and poor weather, and the meat is

reputed to taste " oily " . However, tests indicate that the meat is as good

as from other catchement areas. The higher air temperature in the south

probably necessitates more careful treatment of the meat in order to

ensure good quality.

 

Another cause of this low yield in the North Sea, was that the whales were

more scattered as they followed their main prey, sand eels, which this

year were mainly found in adjacent Danish and British waters, and to a

lesser extent within Norwegian waters. Norwegian whalers are only allowed

to hunt in Norwegian waters.

 

At the outset of the season, only two boats were whaling in the North Sea.

During the summer they were joined by four other boats that had taken

their quota elsewhere.

 

Out of 35 vessels licensed to whale, 32 took part in this year's hunt.

 

The whalers delivered a total of about 714 metric tonnes of meat at an

average price of NOK 31.40 per kilo (US $ 3.60). This is higher than the

minimum price, i.e. opening bids, of NOK 27.50 set before the season,

indicating good demand. The price to consumers is about NOK 100 (US$

11.60) per kilo. Reports from the processing plants indicate that most of

the meat has already been sold.

 

As in former years, the picture is the opposite for blubber, the whale

fat. Norwegians do not have a taste for blubber, and with the self-imposed

export ban in place, there is almost no demand for it. The minimum price

for blubber was set at only NOK 0.10 per kilo (US $ 0.01), while the

actual average price was NOK 2.34 (US $ 0.3). Only 93 tonnes of blubber

were brought to shore. This means that more than 100 tonnes were dumped at

sea.

 

" By lifting the self-imposed export ban, we can avoid this waste, " said

Kristiansen. " It is a shame that in practice, we are not allowed to fully

utilize the resource. Even without increasing the quota, allowing blubber

exports would increase the profit by at least 30%. "

 

The season officially opened on April 24, and closed on August 31. In

August, hunting was only permitted in the North Sea area.

 

The length of the season for individual vessels varied a lot. For

instance, one vessel filled its quota in just five days. The weekly

catches also varied extensively, from zero to 103 in a week. This depends

on the weather -- good weather generally means a good catch.

 

An inspector accompanies each vessel. In addition, international observers

monitor whaling activities.

 

The annual catch constitutes less than 0.5% of the minke whale population

in the area. The most recent abundance estimates are that 184,000

individuals make up the two targeted North Atlantic minke whale stocks.

The Northeast Atlantic stock is estimated to 112,000 and the North

Atlantic Central minke whale stock is estimated to 72,000.

 

The International Whaling Commission's quota calculation model is used

when deciding the size of the quota. Norway's commercial minke whale catch

is legal and in full compliance with the UN Law of the Sea and the

International Whaling Commission.

 

" Whaling is an environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient way of

producing food. Harvesting nature's surplus means that habitat does not

have to be destroyed and turned into agricultural land. Sustainable

whaling should therefore be encouraged, " said Rune Frovik, secretary of

the High North Alliance.