ECO: The Environmental Voice at the International Whaling Comission | International Marine Mammal Project

ECO: The environmental voice at the IWC

ECO is published by Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Madeira, Portugal, on behalf of environmental and animal welfare organizations around the globe.

For further information, please contact: Mark J. Palmer, Associate Director, Earth Island Institute, International Marine Mammal Project.

Norway Whaling Season Fizzles Out

Volume LXI · No. 4 · Madeira, Portugal · Thursday June 25, 2009
Acrobat .pdf of issue

Times are hard all over. Norway’s whaling industry just announced that the whaling season was a complete bust, and they are ending it now.

Norges Råfisklag, the fishermen’s sales association for whale meat, announced in Norwegian media that they were stopping this season yesterday – they have the possibility to start up again later if the poor market for whale meat changes.

According to Greenpeace, if they don’t decide to start the hunt again later this season, 2009 will be the “worst” year for whaling since Norway resumed commercial whaling.

Low demand for whale meat is cited as the reason.

Japan is being forced to freeze whale meat due to low demand, while Iceland and Norway are hopeful of exporting whale meat to Japan.

Only massive government subsidies prop up the failing whaling industries of Japan, Norway and Iceland.