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Speak Out Against Norwegian Whaling

Dear John,

The 2020 Norwegian whaling season is now over, and has proven to be the deadliest in years. This year, more than 500 minke whales were killed, the highest number since 2016. To compound matters, many of the whales targeted by Norwegian whalers are pregnant females, something that cannot be justified from an animal welfare or conservation perspective. For more information, visit our Norwegian whaling page ([link removed]).

Norway has seen a continuous drop in domestic demand for whale meat for several years, and a recent survey ([link removed]) commissioned by AWI and others found that only 4 percent of Norwegians polled admitted to eating whale meat "often," while two-thirds either have never eaten it or only did so "a long time ago."

In an attempt to keep its flagging industry alive, Norway exports whale meat to the Faroe Islands and Iceland, and is sending increasing quantities of whale meat and blubber to Japan. Whale meat is also being used in pet food. A further effort to bolster the industry is particularly troubling: Whale products have been used by manufacturers of animal feed for fur farms--thus using one form of animal cruelty to support another.

Whaling is an inherently inhumane industry, with whales being killed by grenade-tipped harpoons from a moving vessel. Studies show that 18 percent of whales do not die or fall unconscious instantaneously, and suffering can be prolonged. In one reported case, a whale took more than 20 minutes to die.

Whaling is also an unnecessary industry that yields almost no economic benefit. Given Norway's amazing vistas and the variety of whales in its waters, whale-watch tourism in Norway offers a far more financially and ecologically viable alternative.

TAKE ACTION ([link removed])

What You Can Do
Write to Ine Eriksen Søreide, ([link removed]) Norway's minister of foreign affairs, to let her know that you oppose her country's continued killing of minke whales. Encourage her to support responsible whale watching instead. You can send a politely worded letter to the minister via AWI's Compassion Index ([link removed]).

Please share our "Dear Humanitarian" eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to write a letter, too.

As always, thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely,

Cathy Liss
President

P.S. Follow us on Facebook ([link removed]), Twitter ([link removed]), and Instagram ([link removed]) for other important animal protection actions and news.

Photo by N. Seeliger

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Animal Welfare Institute
900 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003
(202) 337-2332 | www.awionline.org ([link removed])

The Animal Welfare Institute is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. We seek better treatment of animals everywhere: in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild.

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900 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003