Is whaling dead?

Lytring debate highlights need for industry supervision

Photo: Birgitte Annie Molid Martinussen
Lytring debate in Svolvær titled “Is whaling dead?” From the left to right: Editor of High North News and debate leader Arne O. Holm, Tore Haug from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, Truls Soløy from Norges Småkvalfangerlag, Unn Haukenes Holgersen from the Nordland Research Institute, and Vidar Thom Benjaminsen, mayor of Vågan Municipality.

Birgitte Annie Molid Martinussen
High North News

Today, Norway, Iceland, Japan, the United States, Russia, and Denmark (Greenland) are the only countries that still engage in whaling. Only the first three do commercial whaling, while Indigenous peoples hunt bowhead whales, gray whales, minke whales, and fin whales in the latter three. Whaling has created a rift among politicians, animal and environmental activists, and whalers for a long time. The arguments against whaling include animal welfare, the economy, and a sustainable marine ecosystem, while the other side argues for the conservation of coastal culture and industries, as well as focus on sustainable and local food.

This article was reprinted with permission. To continue reading, please visit the original post at High North News.

This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of  The Norwegian American.