This year's whaling season has yielded a meager catch for Icelandic whalers. Just 17 animals have been caught since the beginning of the season in May, far less than last year when 46 animals were caught. With a month left of the whaling season whalers predict local demand for whale meat will have to be met with imports.
Only a fraction of the total allowable catch is ever caught
The total allowable quota for minke whales is 220 animals. The two whaling companies which hunt minke whales have never used the entire allowable quota, instead limiting their catch to what the local market can bear. This year, however, poor conditions have made the hunting of minke whales unusually difficult, resulting in just 17 animals being caught.
Read more: Whaling season off to a rocky start, as the weather keeps whalers away from hunt
The manager of one of the whaling companies told the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that the catch of the summer would not suffice to meet the domestic demand, which was about 50 animals. He points out that while whalers are allowed to continue the hunt until December the weather conditions will most likely make it impossible to continue the hunt beyond early September.
Half of whale meat consumed by foreign traellers
Half of the demand for whale meat comes from supermarkets, the other half from restaurants. Conservationists have pointed out that the restaurant demand is primarily from foreign travellers eager to taste whale meat. Without the demand from curious tourists, they argue, the demand for whale meat in Iceland would hardly justify a local whaling industry.
This year's whaling season has yielded a meager catch for Icelandic whalers. Just 17 animals have been caught since the beginning of the season in May, far less than last year when 46 animals were caught. With a month left of the whaling season whalers predict local demand for whale meat will have to be met with imports.
Only a fraction of the total allowable catch is ever caught
The total allowable quota for minke whales is 220 animals. The two whaling companies which hunt minke whales have never used the entire allowable quota, instead limiting their catch to what the local market can bear. This year, however, poor conditions have made the hunting of minke whales unusually difficult, resulting in just 17 animals being caught.
Read more: Whaling season off to a rocky start, as the weather keeps whalers away from hunt
The manager of one of the whaling companies told the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service that the catch of the summer would not suffice to meet the domestic demand, which was about 50 animals. He points out that while whalers are allowed to continue the hunt until December the weather conditions will most likely make it impossible to continue the hunt beyond early September.
Half of whale meat consumed by foreign traellers
Half of the demand for whale meat comes from supermarkets, the other half from restaurants. Conservationists have pointed out that the restaurant demand is primarily from foreign travellers eager to taste whale meat. Without the demand from curious tourists, they argue, the demand for whale meat in Iceland would hardly justify a local whaling industry.
