|
In
1993, after a five year break, Norway resumed ordinary commercial
hunting of minke whales. Norway lodged an objection to the IWC’s
whaling moratorium and is thus not bound by it. In the period
1988-1992, only a limited catch for scientific purposes took
place.
The
inhabitants of small communities mostly north of the Arctic Circle
carry out Minke whaling in combination with coastal fishing.
Whaling complements fishing so that, for example, when the winter
cod season is over, fishermen turn to whaling in the summer. This
annual cycle reflects nature’s seasonal abundance of resources.
The size of the boats used, on average, is 65 feet.
Abundant
minke whale stocks
Most
of the catch is taken from the Northeast Atlantic stock, but some
are also caught from the North Atlantic Central minke whale
stocks. The two stocks contain a total population of 184,000
whales according to the most recent abundance estimates. In 1996,
the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission
(IWC) estimated that the Northeast Atlantic minke whale stock
numbers 112,000. In 1997 the Scientific Committee of the North
Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) estimated that the
North Atlantic Central minke whale stocks were 72,000. An IWC
estimate from 1990 set the size of the North Atlantic Central
stock at 28,000.
Catch
statistics
The
annual Norwegian minke whale catch since the resumption in 1993
has been as follows:
Year
Catch
-
1993
226
-
1994
280
-
1995
218
-
1996
388
-
1997
503
-
1998
625
-
1999
589
This
year, the quota has been set at 655 minke whales.
Since
the late 1920s, more than 100,000 minke whales have been hunted in
the North Atlantic. From 1938-1983, the annual average catch in
the Northeast stock was about 2,000, which is considered to be a
sustainable off-take
Supervision
On
board each vessel there is a government appointed
veterinary-trained inspector, whose task is to ensure that whaling
is carried out according to current regulations.
In
addition, international observers appointed by the North Atlantic
Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) observe whaling activities.
Strictly
regulated
The
total quota is distributed in five different management areas.
These are as follows with this year’s distribution indicated in
brackets:
·
North
Sea (244)
·
Vestfjorden
(16)
·
Barents
Sea (228)
·
Spitzbergen
(103)
·
Jan
Mayen (64)
It
is expected that the total catch this year will only be about
450-500 animals. This is due to the relatively high quota in the
North Sea, an area disliked by the whalers.
Among
the reasons for this dislike are unfamiliarity with the North Sea,
and weather conditions that frequently make whaling impossible as
well as higher air temperature (the North Sea is the most southern
management area).
Within
each management area, a specific quota is then allocated to each
boat participating in the hunt.
Whale
watching
Many
opponents to whaling say that whale watching and hunting is
incompatible. However, again the Norwegian experience shows the
opposite, as both commercial whale watching and commercial whale
hunting take place in the same area.
The
High North Alliance does not see any contradiction in conducting
whale watching and hunting in the same area. Both are two economic
activities that can help provide a livelihood in rural coastal
communities.
Further reading:
|
