Norway’s fisheries minister, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, has announced that the country’s whaling ships will target up to 1286 whales in 2010, compared to 885 this year.
Hunting, mainly for minke whales, will take place in Norwegian waters and off the Jan Mayen islands.
The new quota has both alarmed and surprised some conservationists, given low demand for Norwegian whale meat. Despite 2009’s quota of 885 whales, the final tally was 484.
“Such a huge quota defies both logic and any pretence of claims of sound management,” said Chris Butler-Stroud, CEO of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
“Norwegian whalers haven’t taken their full quota in years, as demand for whale meat has dropped and no one is buying.”
Between 2008 and 2009, Japan increased its minke catch from 551 to 679, and Iceland increased its quota from 40 to 200.
The WDCS sees the latest Norwegian announcement as political manoeuvring, given discussions within the International Whaling Commission over whale quotas.
The IWC held a closed-door meeting in Seattle last weekend to discuss global whaling management. Its next general meeting is in June next year.
Meanwhile, Sea Shepherd set sail from Australia on Monday to challenge a seven-strong Japanese whaling fleet.
The whalers are set to operate within the Southern Ocean marine sanctuary established by the IWC in 1994. It is Sea Shepherd’s sixth such campaign.
Operation Waltzing Matilda is employing two ships. The Steve Irwin, a veteran of Sea Shepherd’s voyages to stymie whaling, will be accompanied by the Ady Gil, a high-speed, wave-piercing trimaran.
The former Earthrace, which can travel at up to 50 knots and set a 61-day circumnavigation record in 2008, makes a surprising choice of vessel for such a campaign.
However, Sea Shepherd expects the fast and agile boat to be able to prevent harpooning by placing itself between whale and whaler.
It could also harass the transfer of shot whales from whaler to factory ship, and generally make life difficult for the whaling fleet.
For the third season, an Animal Planet crew has joined Sea Shepherd to film for its Whale Wars series.
Related links
Minister questions Sea Shepherd link
Sea Shepherd
WDCS
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