End the tradition Norway! This year has been such a successful season for the whalers (and such a tragic season for the whales and those concerned for their welfare) for various reasons. Pro-whalers would no doubt claim this as proof that the population of minke whales is abundant, and their activities are not harmful to the population as a whole. And yet, we now know from International Whaling Commission’s population studies that the population of minke whales in the region has seen a 20 percent drop in 12 years. This is not sustainable. More likely the cause for this season’s “success” has been a combination of good weather conditions and flat seas, which means more whales can be spotted. Despite the fact that only a fraction of Norwegians eat whale meat, the practice receives heavy subsidies from the government in the name of “tradition.” The cost of disposing of the blubber alone costs more than any revenue taken from the meat, and there is ever growing stockpiles of meat as demand remains low. The majority of whale is thrown overboard, with the rest either sold, sent to Japan, or turned into dog food. The Norwegian government has worked hard to convince other countries that whales are killed in a quick and humane way. And yet despite whalers attending a mandatory course before they are allowed a harpoon, there still remains no humane way to kill a whale. By the whalers own admission, some whales take up to an hour to die. Norway is a modern and progressive country, with generally very high standards of animal welfare. The suffering caused by the whale as a result of the use of rifles and exploding harpoons would be an illegal practice if farmed animals in Norway were the victims. It is clear that whaling no longer has a place in a country such as Norway! Heike Vester
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 02:41:15 +0000