– Whale meat is sought after and whaling is a sustainable use of a renewable resource, says Lofothval’s general manager, Rune Frøvik. – In addition, we should regulate the whale population. The whale eats fish, and if there are too many whales, the quotas for other seafood are exceeded. These are some of the arguments for why Norway still engages in whaling. But in the 1980s, the industry received a lot of criticism. And that criticism keeps coming up again. Like in 2020, when the British politician and billionaire Michael Ashcroft regularly slaughtered the Norwegian whaling industry. Nevertheless, it is an industry that is still in operation. During this year’s hunting period, it is permitted to shoot 1,000 minke whales. But the future looks bleak. Sales are going badly. And it doesn’t get any better because the government doesn’t want to market Norwegian whale meat. JUST TO CUT: If nothing is done, Rune Frøvik in Lofothval believes that the only option is to shut down the whaling industry. Photo: Hallgeir Aunan / news – There are fewer actors and poor profitability. Many consider whether it is even worth continuing, says Rune Frøvik. That could change this week. The battle for attention Then the Storting will decide whether whale meat should come under the wings of the Norwegian Seafood Council. The Seafood Council is, among other things, behind the promotion of Norwegian seafood abroad. In addition, they run several campaigns for us Norwegians to eat more seafood. – If whale meat becomes part of the Seafood Council’s investment, it will mean that Norwegian whales will finally be treated on the same level as other seafood, and in that sense will be seen as household reindeer again, says Rune Frøvik in Lofothval. One thing is that Norwegian whale meat will then be promoted abroad, which can ensure increased exports of Norwegian whale meat. Frøvik also believes that it will be easier to get Norwegian shops to sell whale meat, if the government and the Storting give a clear signal that whale meat is safe to eat. The case will be heard in the Storting on Tuesday. Fisheries Minister Bjørnar Skjæran is clear in what he thinks about the matter. In his answer when the case was out for hearing, he writes the following: Skjæran reasons this, among other things, that whaling is a controversial topic internationally. Whale expert Egil Ole Øen believes that the fisheries minister is thoroughly wrong. Too much has happened in Norwegian whaling in the last 30 years. – Norway is the best in the world – We have developed the best fishing methods in the world, and they are recognized by the Whaling Commission. Countries that have challenges with their methods are referred to Norway for guidance and help, says Øen. In his letter, Fisheries Minister Skjæran also writes that minke whales have been assessed as endangered since a count in 1983. Øen also believes that this is wrong. WAITING: Bjørnar Skjæran does not want to say much about whaling until the matter has been discussed in the Storting. Photo: Daniel Hong Hansen / news – The report from the 80s was made with bad data. A recent research program showed that the population in Norway is much higher than first thought, says Øen. And the population has only grown. A report from 2021 shows that there are around 150,000 minke whales in Norwegian waters. – Then it is absolutely sustainable to be able to catch at least 1,000 animals a year, says Øen. Rune Frøvik in Lofothval believes the fisheries minister’s argument is unfortunate. DIFFERENT SITUATION: Whale expert Egil Ole Øen believes the situation in the whaling industry is completely different from 30 years ago. Photo: Lars Bjørn Martinsen / news – This is a joke from the past. A denial of knowledge and experience that one has built up over a long time, he says. The Ministry of Fisheries further argues that it will not be profitable for Norway to spend money on the promotion of whales, partly because we mostly only sell whales to Japan. In total, Norway exported whale meat worth NOK 13.6 million in 2021 and NOK 27.7 million the following year. Rather, they recommend the industry itself to work more actively with promotion. Easier said than done, says Rune Frøvik. The whaling industry itself does not have the money to promote whale meat on a large scale. In addition, Frøvik believes that the government is now sending out signals that destroy the industry. – By not taking whale meat under the seafood council, they are sending clear signals that whales are dangerous and not clean. This means that grocery stores and wholesalers stay away from whales, because it is perceived as something dangerous that can cause problems, he says. Nevertheless, the fisheries minister stands his ground. – We stand for Norway’s whaling and we can continue with that. It is also the case that the Seafood Council can and does contribute to the marketing of Norwegian whales domestically. But we don’t want to create more international unrest around whaling now, he says.
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The Minister of Fisheries will not promote whale meat abroad. I think it could ruin Norwegian seafood – news Nordland
