Flag of Norway
Map of Norway
The Minke Whale: "It's very nutritious"
by Jonathan Cogen
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Flag of Norway |
Map of Norway |
Introduction
The Minke Whale
Whaling in Norway
Problems with Whaling
Conclusion
Works Cited
Introduction:
Europe is one of the most diverse regions in the world, boasting numerous ethnicities and ways of life. The identities of many of these European nations seem to be linked to the food they eat and produce. The French, for example, are known for the Champagne they manufacture on their picturesque vineyards, while Flemish and Swiss chocolates are world-renowned. Norway is known for its fish and its fisheries, and also is one of only three countries currently whaling today (the other two are Japan and Iceland). There has been much debate over whaling in Norway; some anti-whaling groups and organizations cite cruelty and the possibility of endangerment as reasons for stopping the whaling industry, while the High North Alliance, the organization in charge of whaling in Norway, downplays any possibility of over-harvesting, and points to the Norwegian tradition of whaling as an important reason for continuing whaling in Norway.
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Minke Whale |
The Minke Whale:
The Minke whale is a filter feeder, and thus belongs in the baleen whale family, which also includes, among others, the Blue Whale, Grey Whale, and Humpback Whale. The Minke is the smallest baleen whale, averaging between 8 to 9 meters in length, and is found in the seas around Ireland and the United Kingdom, in addition to many Scandinavian shores. Minke whales tend to be solitary, and this may explain, in addition to their smaller stature compared to other baleen whales, why they are the primary whale species targeted by whale hunters in Norway, Japan, and Iceland.
For more information on the Minke Whale, go to: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/minke.shtml (7)
Whaling in Norway:
Whaling has been a part of the Norwegian economy for centuries; in particular, whales were eaten by the Sammi population, a coastal Norwegian indigenous group residing in Northern Norway (2). Karen Larsen, in her History of Norway, notes that a Norwegian named Ottar, who, according to Alfred the Great, lived, "farthest north of any Norseman" (6), used whales as food for himself and his family while he also sold the whale meat at the public markets (6). So, it seems that whaling and Norway have gone hand-in-hand throughout the Scandinavian country's history, and many Norwegians do feel that the institution of whaling makes up an essential part of Norwegian identity and culture.
Laila Jusnes, the Information advisor for the High North Alliance (the organization in charge of whaling in Norway), echoed much of this sentiment in a speech given at the May 2004 meeting entitled "The Future of Whaling in the 21st Century": "The Norwegian culture and psyche are strongly rooted in the sea. There is a very close relationship with the sea. We have a long coast line, more than 2000 kilometres. Most people live at, or very near the coast and the use of marine resources has been extremely important to the Norwegian economy. Fishing, whaling and sealing have been carried out for thousands of years." (4) Interestingly, while the meat from the Minke whale was the primary motive for hunters living before the industrial ages, the 18th and 19th century whale hunters used their captured prey in order to acquire its oil to use as a source of light. In Norway today, the Minke whale is hunted primarily for its meat, just as before industrialization; this meat, according to Jusnes, is a "healthy and nutritious source of protein [killed] in a way that is much more environment-friendly and humane than eating beef or pork" (4) and is sold as steaks in Norwegian Supermarkets (1). Although hunting of the Minke whale does not provide a huge boost to the Norwegian economy, it is a time-honored tradition that the Norwegians are unwilling to give up, even amidst strong opposition from many anti-whaling agencies and organizations.
Problems with Whaling:
In 1982, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) decided to place a moratorium on all commercial whaling starting in 1986 (3). Through loopholes in the moratorium, Norway has been able to continue their commercial whaling of the Minke whale, and Japan (and most recently Iceland) has hunted whales for scientific purposes, which the IWC moratorium does allow. Unfortunately for these whaling nations, there are many organizations that are adamantly against the hunting of whales, for a variety of reasons. One of the arguments against whaling, according to Kitty Block, a spokeswoman for Whalewatch, is, "the cruelty that whaling represents" (1); she, along with dozens of other anti-whaling groups, are in complete disagreement over the methods whale hunters use to capture and kill a Minke whale. This whale is hunted during the summer months, and is killed by a trained whale hunter. This hunter fires a large grenade, missile-like projectile, that according to 1999 statistics from the official website of Norway, instantaneously kills 72 % of whales, while another 20 % or so lose consciousness immediately, and thus do not suffer (8). Unfortunately, that still leaves about one in ten Minke whales that hunters must fire at a second time to kill.
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A Whale Hunter preparing to fire harpoon |
Whalers extracting the meat from the Minke |
Minke Meat |
In addition to the killing methods of the whale hunters, anti-whaling organizations fear that the annual hunting of the Minke whale will diminish the whale populations, possibly leading the whale to a place on the endangered species list. However, according to Norwegian officials' statistics, there is virtually no danger of over-killing these whales. It is estimated that approximately 107,000 Minke whales are present in the North Atlantic, and thus the quota of 796 whales allowed to the whale hunters in 2005 in no way diminishes the overall population. (5) In addition, the same officials note that a 2% increase in the Minke population is expected, providing further evidence that this baleen whale will not become endangered any time soon. (5) Regardless, there will always be concern from opponents of whaling that the statistics provided by the Norwegian government may be either made up or incorrect, and these anti-whaling organizations will continue to voice their opinions until a step is made towards the abolishment of this institution.
Conclusion:
Although the debate is raging in Norway over the killing of the Minke whale for its meat, as long as Norway is confident in its statistics, the tradition of whaling in Norway will most likely continue. Furthermore, it appears that other countries, such as Iceland, are thinking about reopening their own whaling industries, due in part to the success of the Norwegian whale hunters. However, the presence of commercial whaling will force the anti-whaling agencies to continue to lobby for its extermination. In any event, the Minke whale and its meat is a significant part of the Norwegian character, in addition to serving as a unique addition to the European identity.
(1) ABC News Online, "Norwegian fleet kills 25 whales," April 26th 2005, http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200504/s1353396.htm (11/13/05)
(2) Anttonen, Pertii, Kvideland, Reimund, eds. Nordic Frontiers: Recent Issues in the Study of Modern Traditional Culture in the Nordic Countries. Turku: Nordic Institute of Folklore, 1993.
(3) "International Whaling Commission Home Page," October 31st 2005, http://www.iwcoffice.org/index.htm (11/13/05)
(4) Jusnes, Laila, "Practical Perspectives from a Whaling Nation," May 26th 2004, http://www.highnorth.no/Oxford%20mai%202004%20wspa.pdf (11/13/05)
(5)Kirby, Alex, BBC, "Norway Seeks Tripled Whale Catch," May 28th 2004, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3753919.stm (11/13/05)
(6) Larsen, Karen. A History of Norway. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1948.
(7) The Mammal Society, "The Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata," 2005, http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/minke.shtml (11/13/05)
(8) Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Norwegian Minke Whaling," 2003, http://www.norway.org.uk/policy/environment/whaling/whaling.htm (11/13/05)
Other Resources:
The Dolphin Action and Protection Group, "Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)", http://www.geocities.com/~kcdreher/minke.html (11/13/05)
The Humane Society of the United States, "Fact Sheets on Whaling," 2005, http://www.hsus.org/marine_mammals/save_whales_not_whaling/fact_sheets_on_whaling/ (11/13/05)