– It is very important for me to say that we have great respect for those who live from the sea, says general manager Martin Hansen of Visit Nordkapp, and adds: – But at the same time it must be fair to say that whaling and cruise ships are a bad mix . Inside the harbor in Honningsvåg in Finnmark, the cruise tourists on board MS “Boletti” witnessed the slaughter of a whale on Tuesday morning. This was not well received by any of the 700 British guests, writes iFinnmark. It was Finnmarksposten that mentioned the case first. Here, the whale carcass is released into the sea after the meat has been extracted. The sight of the bloody whale was too much for cruise tourists in Honningsvåg. – Even if the Directorate of Fisheries says it is fine, they would hardly have said that about slaughtering Karl Johan, says Hansen. He says they have received reactions from the tourists. Some people think it was exciting, but some don’t think anything of it, because they hadn’t sought out that experience and didn’t want to see a whale dismembered. – We in the tourism industry are a bit vulnerable, just like whaling, and we hope they can have some understanding of that, he says and adds: – We recommend whale watching. – They must be scared to death. – It is a slaughter in a way, but what the tourists saw was that we took whale meat into the hold and put it on ice. We cut it into large pieces of 100 to 200 kg. So says Nils Jørgen Nilsen, who is skipper on board “Nystrand”. Nilsen is not surprised by the reactions from the cruise tourists. – It is a sign of spring that there is a bit of commotion when they see a whale boat, which has whales on deck and is handling the whale meat. Nilsen has grown up whaling and has soon been skipper of his own ship for 50 years. For him, this is everyday life, and he thinks it’s positive that the tourists see it. – They only get to see the truth. There is nothing to camouflage. We operate a legal trap, some like it and some don’t. Here you can see the whaling ship lying next to the cruise ship in Honningsvåg. Photo: kystnor.no – Can you understand that they get a little scared? – They just have to be. They must be scared shitless. – It’s a shame they don’t get to taste the delicacy. The cruise ships should have served this when they were on the Norwegian coast if they are looking for our culture. They are cowards who dare not taste this. It is very good food. Nilsen believes that Norway must invest more in whale meat both to keep the population in check and to invest in what he believes is sustainable meat. – We catch far too little to keep it in balance. There are so many other large whale species that are here. They are right up on the shore and eat a whole lot. It is completely uncontrolled. Wants understanding – Tourism and whaling can live side by side, but it must be coordinated and there must be a plan for it, says Martin Hansen Hansen is himself from a fishing and hunting family and has great respect for the whalers. He nevertheless believes that the relationship between cruise ships and whaling should be addressed. – It is an important issue. It doesn’t have to be a conflict. We just want understanding. Not all people support whaling. – There are no rules for how far from land the whalers must lie when they slaughter the animals they have shot. This can happen at the quayside, says senior inspector in the Directorate of Fisheries, Stig Johansen, to Finnmarksposten, who is clear that the fishing industry is ahead of tourism. He emphasizes that it is permitted to shoot whales right up to the jetties, and that both rumen and whale carcasses can also be released into the sea after slaughter.
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Cruise tourists react after the dismemberment of a whale in Honningsvåg – news Nordland
