Greenland

Bowhead and humpback were among the species traditionally hunted in Greenland. Greenland had an IWC quota for humpback until 1985. Now, species such as pilot whale, minke whale, fin whale, harbour porpoises, narwhal and beluga are also being hunted.

The fin whale and most of the minke are hunted with boats equipped with a mounted cannon. About 50 minkes are allocated to what is called "the collective hunt", using boats with outboard motors, rifles and harpoons.

Narwhal and beluga are being hunted from kayaks and small boats, using rifles and hand-held harpoons.

Catch data:

• 180 minke whales (2005)
• 14 fin whales (2005)
• 294 narwhals (2004-05)*
• 91 belugas (2004-05)*
• 2531 harbour porpoises (2003)
• 195 pilot whales (2003)
• Pilot whale 288 (2005, note: may be incomplete numbers, covers only the period from January to September)

(*The quotas were introduced in 2004 and run from July to June the following year.)

The products from the hunt are shared among the crews, with a portion being sold in open-air markets, supermarkets and small stores.

The Home Rule Government of Greenland participates in the IWC as part of Denmark. Greenland participates independently in the Canada-Greenland Joint Commission on the Conservation and Management of Narwhal and Beluga, as well as in the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO).

Further reading:
Whaling - a Part of our Culture
Inuit Whaling and Sealing
Making Money Prohibited - Aboriginal Hunting
Greenland's Whalers Want to Export Whale Meat
The Right to Be Commercial