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.
Norway has seen a continuous drop in domestic demand for whale meat for several years, and a recent survey 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.