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Norway decided in 2001 to resume export of minke whale products.
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The last whale meat export was in 1990.
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The main market will be Japan. Although smaller, Iceland is also a
potential market. Negotiations with the Governments of Japan and
Iceland are now taking place.
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The export ban has resulted in 1100 tonnes of blubber being
stockpiled as the Norwegians do not have a palate for blubber (the
fat). Norwegians consume only the whale meat.
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The trade is controlled through an unprecedented DNA scheme. This
scheme includes the DNA fingerprint from each minke whale hunted.
These DNA profiles are entered into a database. This means that any
whale product in the market can be DNA tested, and its origin traced
in the database. This ensures that the products in the marketplace are
caught and traded legally.
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Trade means full use of the hunted whales and stops the waste. For
years, much of the blubber has simply been thrown out at sea.
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With export, the economic value of each whale can increase 20-30% as
the blubber can also be traded. On average, one minke whale yields
about 500 kg blubber and 1500 kg meat.
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The Arctic and sub-Arctic regions are very rich in marine resources,
but poor in other resources such as grain. Therefore, trade in goods,
including whale products, has taken place for centuries. This
continues today with the majority of seafood caught being exported.
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A condition for an economic activity to take place is access to
markets. It is therefore no surprise that the fight over trade
constitutes one of the most important confrontations in the whaling
conflict.
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The trade is legal, and in accordance with the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the World Trade
Organization (WTO).
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CITES has a general ban on international trade in minke whale
products as the minke whale is listed as "threatened with
extinction". However, CITES recognises that scientifically
speaking, the minke whale is not threatened, but keeps it on that list
for political reasons. Iceland, Japan and Norway hold reservations to
this decision, i.e. they are allowed by CITES to engage in
international trade in minke whale products.
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Export from Norway will only be allowed to countries that are
allowed by CITES to import minke whale products, i.e. those countries
that hold a reservation to the trade ban and those countries that are
not members to CITES.
- At the two last CITES-meetings in 2000 and 1997, a majority
supported Norway's proposal to take the North Atlantic minke whales
off the "threatened with extinction" list. But the proposals
were not carried as they failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds
majority.
