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15 whales already killed in the first month of Norway’s 2019 whaling season

The annual whaling season in the North Atlantic began on April 1. According to keikoconservation.com, 15 minke whales have been harpooned by 3 vessels in the first month of the Norway’s whaling season.  

The Norwegian Fisheries Minister set the minke whale quota for 2019 at 1.278 whales, which is the same as in last year, a high number considering the lack of demand for the meat in Norway.

Last year, 454 minke whales were hunted off Norway, a slight increased compared to 2017 but still well below the maximum quota.

Norway’s whaling season usually takes off in April and lasts until the end of August.

Norway, whose whaling today is limited to the Minke whale, which it kills using explosive penthrite grenade harpoons, refuses to abide by a 1986 international hunting moratorium, which it formally opposed.

The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) previously released documents that indicates Norwegian fur farms have used minke whale meat to feed animals raised for the country’s fur industry.

In 2014, more than 113 tonnes of whale meat -equivalent to the amount of marketable meat from 75 minke whales- was delivered to Rogaland Pelsdyrfôrlaget, the largest manufacturer of animal feed for the Norwegian fur industry.

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