Source: High North News, No.11, Nov. 1996, published by the High North Alliance

    Norwegian Minke Whaling:

    Demand for Meat, Blubber Mountain Growing

    “All the meat from this summer’s minke whale harvest has now been sold, but the blubber continues to accumulate in the storehouses,” says Harald Dahl of the Norwegian Raw Fish Sales Organisation, the body that also organises the sale of minke whale meat to the production plants on behalf of the whalers . At the start of this year’s minke whaling season problems arose in selling the meat owing to a conflict over prices between buyers and the whalers as represented by the Raw Fish Sales Organisation. The Raw Fish Sales Organisation fixes a minimum price for the whalers which this year was set at NOK 26.50 (approx. £2.60p) per kilo.

    The buyers are also obliged to buy the blubber and the whalers are obliged to bring it all back to land, even though there is at present no sales potential for it and it simply accumulates in the freezer rooms. The Norwegians have no traditions as far as eating blubber is concerned, while in Japan it is considered a delicacy. Up until 1987 the blubber was exported to Japan.

Back to the High North News Contents Page