14 DAY TRIAL // The Scandinavian nation of Norway incited international outrage recently, when it announced that it would increase its maximum whale-hunting quota by more than 45 percent, as opposed to the 2009 level. The move was sparked by nothing more than political interests that this country and Japan had in preserving the useless and cruel practice of whaling. Experts add that there is not a demand on the market for whale meat, and certainly not one that would justify such a large increase in a single year. Hopefully, the group Sea Shepherd will again make its presence felt, and sink the Norwegian and Japanese whaling ships as they deserve.
“We were expecting Norway to either keep the same quota or reduce it, given the lack of demand for whale meat,” Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society representative Kate O'Connell explains. It would appear that common sense has all but disappeared from these two governments, which continue to defy a UN ban on commercial whaling, and indeed the rest of the world, by practicing a habit they call tradition. According to the Norwegian Prime Minister, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, who can be called a criminal, fishermen in the country will have the right to catch 1,286 whales this year, up from 885 last year, NewScientist reports.
The increase puts the country ahead of Japan, whose fleet usually needs to catch about 1,000 of the animals. A number of conservationists rightfully fear that the move could encourage Japan to up its quota again. The Norwegian move was all the more surprising as the country's fishermen only caught half of their maximum quota for 2009, but managed to find no purchasers for their meat. “Even though the hunt was reopened and even extended to the end of September, well beyond the normal closing date of 31 August, the whalers simply could not find buyers for their meat,” O'Connell says.
In addition to the two main whaling nations, Iceland is showing signs of going down the same miserable road. It also announced that it increased its quota from 50 to 200 minke whales. Experts wonder what Japan is doing with all the meat. It receives supplies from its own ships, as well as from Norway and Iceland, which have trade agreements with the Asian nation. “With all this meat flooding the market, Norway's decision to raise its quota next year makes absolutely no sense. This is nothing more than political posturing, but it could have devastating consequences, especially if Japan decides to follow Norway and Iceland and up its own whale quotas,” O'Connell adds.
The Japanese fleet has already set sail to the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, where the International Whaling Commission has set up a protected residence for whales. The barbaric Asian nation has the right to cull up to 935 minke whales from these locations each year. Hopefully, in addition to environmental groups, the Australian fleet would send a war ship to keep an eye on the Japanese, and force them out of its waters, as it has done over the last few years.