In 1992 Norway announced that it was starting whaling on the strength of an estimate of
86,732 minke whales, an estimate prepared by Norwegians scientists. This number, the
IWC later found, had been inflated by a computer error. The IWC now estimate that the
number should have been 67,500.
"That is a drop of almost 20,00" said Greenpeace whale campaigner, John Frizell.
"Norway's decision to start whaling was based on a mistake".
A 1995 Norwegian survey of the same minke population produced an estimate of 118,000,
a substantial increase on 1992. The slow growth rate of whales means that this difference
cannot be due to natural increase. John Frizell, "In the last 15 months Norway has
announced population figures ranging from 69,600 to 112,000. It is clear that Norway just
don't know how many whales there are".
Norway has used this latest estimate to justify its decision to nearly double its quota from
232 to 425 minke whales in 1996. Ironically the market for whale meat in Norway has
collapsed and subsidies are now required to keep the hunt alive. Figures released last week
show that Norway had only sold 59 of the 239 whales it had killed.
Notes to correspondents:
For further information please contact: Mirella Lindenfels ++ 831 594 724
1) Both the 1989 survey (which produced the figures used in 1992) and the 1995 survey
were paid for by Norway, used mostly Norwegian whalers as observers and the data was
prepared in Norway. The final calculations were done by a Norwegian computer
programme.