TL: THE CASE AGAINST WHALING SO: John Frizell, Greenpeace International (GP) DT: June 10, 1996 Keywords: environment oceans whaling norway europe whales / The history of modern commercial whaling is one of repeated over-exploitation, as whaling companies strove to maximise their short-term profits despite the longer-term implications for the very species on which their livelihood depended. Now, past mistakes are being acknowledged by the modern-day whaling lobby in their campaign to convince the world that whaling today will be different and will be done in a sustainable manner for the first time. In fact nothing has changed. The relatively few whales that remain are highly vulnerable, and the factors that led to their over-exploitation in the past have not changed. Here are the key arguments against whaling. WHALES ARE NOT FISH Whales are mammals, not fish, but they have historically been treated as fish by the whaling industry. The vast majority of fish species reproduce by releasing huge quantities of eggs into the water for fertilisation by the male, although under normal conditions only a small percentage of these will develop into mature adults. Whales on the other hand have a long gestation period and usually give birth only every one or two year, to a single calf that requires more than a year of maternal care before it can survive on its own. Even then, whale calves take many years to reach maturity. For these reasons whales can never recover quickly from exploitation. These factors are compounded by our lack of knowledge about many aspects of whale biology. Even after decades of research, the growth rate of whale populations is unknown because of the difficulty of studying these highly migratory, long-lived, slow-reproducing animals. Nor are there reliable estimates of live birth rates or of the natural mortality rates of calves and juveniles. Fishing industry representatives who stir up concern that a ban on whaling would lead to a ban on fishing are deliberately confusing the public and disregarding the vastly different characteristics of two entirely unrelated groups of species. WE CAN'T COUNT WHALES ACCURATELY Modern scientific methods cannot count whales accurately. Determining how many animals exist in a population is crucial for any calculation of kill quotas. The size of most populations of whales is known no more accurately than plus of minus 50 percent. Since populations increase so slowly, it is impossible to tell if a population is growing or shrinking in the course of a few year's study. All population estimates are based on a count of the whales sighted on each side of a survey vessel as it zig-zags its way through a designated stretch of water. Since only a small percentage of the whales in any given population will be visible on the surface as the vessel passes, extrapolations must be made from the number sighted to give an estimate for the entire region under study. Thus all population estimates are based on sightings of a tine fraction of the population. Mathematical formulas are used to calculate the total numbers, from the small number of actual sightings. These attempt to take into account numerous variables such as the fact that certain species of whales tend to cluster in certain areas. It is in these formulas that an enormous potential for compounded error exists. This is borne out by the evidence. For example a 1986 joint Japanese/Russian survey off Antarctica in Area 5, one of the six sectors into which the Southern Ocean was divided for management purposes and the one in which minke whales are believed to be most abundant, recorded a population estimate of 280,000 minke whales. Five years later, a Japanese survey estimated just 56,000. This does not mean that the whales have declined, it simply illustrates how uncertain these numbers are. Likewise, in 1992 the IWC accepted a Norwegian estimate of 86,736 minke whales off Norway. Norway proceeded to use that number to set quotas. In 1995 an IWC scientific working meeting found serious errors in the computer models used to calculate this number. Norway reduced its estimate to 69,600 and set a new quota but when the full Scientific Committee met it agreed that it was not able to provide a valid estimate for the population and so it would not be able to offer advice on quotas. SUSTAINABLE WHALING IS ECONOMICALLY UNSOUND Common sense would seen to suggest that because whale populations grow very slowly, it would be in the long-term interests of the whaling industry to maintain whale populations at a healthy level, and to avoid over-exploitation that might lead to a terminal decline. But mathematician Colin Clark showed, in a classic paper called "The Economics of Overexploitation" published in the journal Science in the early 1970s, that exploitation of slow-growing populations will naturally lead to their severe depletion and even to their extinction. This is because if the profit to be had from catching the entire population of animals at once is greater than the profit that could be made by conserving the population and taking only a certain quantity each year, then it is good business to catch as many animals as possible, as quickly as possible - even though it is bad management from the biological point of view. Economic logic, divorced from the realities of the living world, dictates that high levels of short-term exploitation will bring the best financial return. In other words, sustainable whaling is economically unsound. KILLING MORE WHALES WON'T RESTORE THE ECOLOGICAL BALANCE There is little doubt that overfishing has devastated fish stocks in many parts of the world. The whaling lobby is now arguing that this means that whales should be killed to protect the remaining fish. In fact, whales are far from being the only consumers of fish, huge quantities are eaten by other fish and by seabirds. In any case, killing a whale does not release the fish that it would have eaten to a commercially valuable fish. It is just as lightly to be eaten by another species altogether. There is not a single case world wide where it has been demonstrated that a catch of whales has increased the take of commercially valuable fish. WHALES LIVE IN A CHANGED OCEAN Whales evolved over tens of millions of years and are superbly adapted to the marine environment. But this environment is now under a sustained threat from the consequences of human activities, including climate change, increased UV-B radiation from a diminishing ozone layer, pollution by organochlorine compounds and increasingly intensive fisheries. Organochlorines have been shown to cause reproductive failure in marine mammals and to be potent suppressors of mammal's immune systems. Whales and other marine mammals concentrate these artificial compounds through the food chain so concentrations in the animals may be a million times higher than in the surrounding seawater. Recent work suggests that some classes of compounds, called endrocine disrupters, exert very powerful negative effects on reproduction at extremely low concentrations. UV-B can affect the plankton which are at the base of the ocean food chain. Some species are extremely sensitive and others are more resistant, so species composition may change. In some species UV-B damages the sensory cells that respond to light and gravity, causing them to swim randomly and lose their optimum position in the water column. Even the most oceanic of whales no longer live in a pristine environment. Anything less than a precautionary approach is unacceptable in the effort to conserve whales. The benefit of the doubt must be given to the environment. A failure to do so may extinguish any hope of long-term protection for the world's whale populations. WHAT DO NORWAY'S WHALERS REALLY WANT? We are constantly told that Norway's whaling is small type and traditional, and Norway's public relations paints a picture of tiny picturesque boats operating out of remote villages catching a few minke whales for local people to eat. Olav Olaffson, captain of the whaling ship Nybrena, recently said to a Swedish newspaper that "there is a good demand for whale meat in Norway. It is a delicacy that all people along the coast appreciate - the real whale meat taste which is good with good sauce on it". If we believe what Norway's whalers tell the outside world, all the whalers want is to be left alone to carry on their activities in these remote areas and all will be well. But what the whalers say within Norway is rather different. Far from claiming that there is a good demand for whale meat, they complain that the demand is not enough to consume even last year's catch of 218, let alone the 1996 quota of 425. And rather than a limited traditional catch they want an expanding export driven industry catching 1,800 minkes a year plus an unknown number of fin whales. What Norway's whalers are demanding is: -An increase in minke quotas to 1,800. -Resumption of export for greater profits. -Quotas for fin whales. Here, in its own words, is what Norway's whaling industry really wants. page The whale meat mountain 3 - 5 Increasing the quota 6 - 8 Whales and profits 9 - 11 Quotas for fin whales 12 THE WHALE MEAT MOUNTAIN "... the Norwegian market can't take more (whale) meat." Dagbladet 18.5.96 MIGHT REFUSE TO BUY THIS YEARS WHALE MEAT The harpoons for this years whale hunt are loaded, but Norwegians do not want to eat whalemeat! Over one hundred tonnes of whale meat is still stored, and the buyers are considering to refuse to buy this years hunt. "The authorities must set aside money for marketing. We will see how the situation develops, but it is not certain that we will buy this years meat," says buyer Per Gunnar Olsen at Skrova. The storage of whale meat is about one third of the total hunt last year. In addition to that about 300 tons of blubber is on storage. Countries in Asia are offering dream prices for whale blubber, but the Norwegian ban on export of whale products stops any kind of trade. ... Competition "What kind of future has the industry when the meat has to be stored and you refuse to buy this years hunt?" "The whale meat has to compete with several other cheap dishes. The trade in Norway was dramatically changed while whaling was not allowed. Now the sale is controlled by big food chains," says Per Gunnar Olsen. Olsen lead the negotiations between the Fishing Industry's association and Raafiskarlaget and is now a member in the marketing committee for whale meat. The Skrova buyer expect the government to come up with a plan to increase the sale of whale meat. The whalers will get 26,5 kroners per kilo of whale meat. In the stores the price per kilo is up to 200 kroners. The consumers think this is too high. -------------------------------------------------------------- 05/20 Norway-Whaling DOUG MELLGREN OSLO, Norway (AP) Norway's commercial whaling season opened Monday with opponents claiming the biggest hunt in nearly a decade will simply increase a glut of unsold whale meat and blubber. Norway resumed its commercial whale hunts three years ago, despite a global ban, and sells the meat for human consumption. Ignoring protests, it raised this year's quota to 425 minke whales from 232 last year. "This is absurd," said Katrin Glatz Brubakk of Greenpeace Norway. "What is going to happen to all these whales? Even with last year's quota, they didn't manage to sell all the meat." ... As the first of 35 to 40 whaling boats left port, controversy spread to the industry itself. Four whale meat buyers, accounting for 60 percent of last year's sales, pulled out, refusing to pay the $1.85 per pound the hunters have demanded for whale meat, said Per Rolandsen of the Norwegian Fish Sales Association. He blamed slow sales on middlemen who sell whale meat in stores for $10.50 to $14 per pound. An average 30-foot minke whale provides from 3,300 to 4,400 pounds of meat. Rolandsen estimated Norway has 100 to 200 tons of blubber, once used for oil, stockpiled, with virtually no demand. Greenpeace says Norway also has 50 tons of unsold whale meat. Fearing international reaction, Norway has forbidden the export of whale meat and blubber. Both are prized delicacies in Japan, where Norwegian newspapers said smuggled meat can bring $200 a pound. -------------------------------------------------------------- VESTERAALEN 4.5.96 MUST ALLOW EXPORT Arvid Falch from Oeksnes are not happy that the fisheries minister has set the quota of whales to 360 this year. "We will never have the possibility to sell that much meat if the Government sticks to their current policy on whaling. The minister, Jan Henry must be strong enough to open for export, so that our industry becomes "healthy", says Falch. ... It would become a totally different industry if we opened for export of whales to other countries. -------------------------------------------------------------- LOFOTPOSTEN 6.5.96 BREAKTHROUGH IN THE WHALING ISSUE ... What do you do with the blubber? "That is our big problem. USA has the key to this. The moment they give a "go ahead", Japan can give an import license. Before this happens, we have no possibilities to lift our own export ban. But the work to get allowance for export of blubber and other by-products has highest priority with Norwegian. authorities. But I am afraid that this will take a long time - several years," says Bryn. -------------------------------------------------------------- NORDLANDS FREMTID 6.5.96 ... "There is no doubt that there is room for even bigger quotas next year. But the market situation is also important for the future quotas," says whaling commissioner Kaare Bryn. -------------------------------------------------------------- LOFOTPOSTEN 7.5.96 ... "There is already stored 70-80 tons of meat and 30 tons of whale beefs from earlier years," says Per-Gunnar Olsen, representaive of the meat buyers in Norges Raafiskarlaget. ... -------------------------------------------------------------- Verdens Gang 25.4.96 ... In the storage in Svolvaer about 300 tons of whale blubber, 50 tons of by-products and 10-15 tons of of whale beef is stored. ... -------------------------------------------------------------- Fiskeribladet mid April 1996 WHALING QUOTA AT LEAST 360 ... A more gradual increase in the quotas will probably be better marketing wise. The interest for whalemeat has dropped after the first excitement, and the hunters are afraid of dropping prices.. A strong increase in the availability without export, will lead to even lower prices. -------------------------------------------------------------- NTB 1 December 1994 WHALERS DEMAND HIGHER QUOTAS In Bodoe (NTB-Erik Veigaard). The Norwegian Small Type Whaling Association (NSTWA) will at its annual meeting this weekend demand higher whaling quotas, an earlier start of the whaling and a lift of the export ban on whaling products. The whalers think that the quotas should be raised gradually, until they reach the level of 1800 animals annually within a few years. ... If the whalers will succeed in their demand of increased quotas, the lift of the export ban will be even more important. The Norwegian market is not big enough for much more than what is caught today. There is still meat from this years hunt in different stores, but it is expected to be sold before next years season. -------------------------------------------------------------- NTB 3 December 1994. WANTS TO CATCH 1800 WHALES ... A lift of the export ban would also be very important if the quotas are increased, because it is not possible to sell more than what is caught today in Norway. -------------------------------------------------------------- INCREASING THE QUOTA "We won't be satisfied until we reach a normal, usual hunt of 1,700-1,800 hundred whales a year" 05/18 Norway-Whaling DOUG MELLGREN OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Norway's whalers are preparing to slip quietly out of their ports to avoid trouble on Monday, when the much-protested hunting season opens. ... Whalers, who sell whale meat for human consumption, want a government ban on export lifted and quotas quadrupled to the levels of the early 1980s, before protests forced Norway to call off the hunt. "We won't be satisfied until we reach a normal, usual hunt of 1,700-1,800 hundred whales a year," Olavsen [Olav Olavsen Jr., caaptain of the Nybraena], said. -------------------------------------------------------------- BROENNOEYSUNDS AVIS 6.5.96 ... Like last year it has not been possible to reach an agreed estimate in the IWC. Therefor Norwegian authorities have set the quota on their own, says Halvard P. Johansen, vice director in the fisheries ministry. But Johansen says that the quota is set very cautiously, and that the stock would stand a lot bigger quotas. -------------------------------------------------------------- LOFOTPOSTEN, 6.5.96 WHALES ARE FOOD (Editorial) ... Playing with numbers Already now the Government could have set a quota of 600 animals. Next year it will be 800-900, and in 1998 it will be about 1,500 animals. But this is just a numbers game as long as we don't export. -------------------------------------------------------------- AFTENPOSTEN 5.5.96 THE GOVERNMENT MUST ALLOW EXPORT OF WHALES. ... "Whaling is on its way to coming back as the important industry it once was," says Steinar Bastesen, chair of the Small Type Whalers association. ... Since there are more than 120 000 minke whales in the Barents Sea, there is room for a further increase in quotas next year. -------------------------------------------------------------- VESTERAALEN 4.5.96 THE WHALERS WANT TO HUNT FINWHALES AS WELL Jan Kristiansen, vice president in the small Type Whalers Association, says that there is basis for hunting 1700 - 1800 minke whales a year in Norway. -------------------------------------------------------------- Fiskaribladet 20 Feb 1996 AMERICAN ELECTIONS LEAD TO LOW WHALE PROFILE IN NORWAY? ... "The Norwegian aim, whether we are part of the IWC or not, is to increase the quota," says Norwegian Commissioner Kare Bryn. "and to get the IWC to accept that there are no genetic differences between minkes in the different areas. Our aim in to normalise the quotas." By that he means a catch of between 800 and 900 animals under the condition that the stock is estimated to be about 75,000 animals. ... There are two possibilities for Norway to get bigger quotas. The easiest would be if the count were to lead to an increased estimate. The other way is to adjust the tuning level at the IWC. At the present time they have accepted a model that leads to 72% of the original stock after catching. If that model is used it will never be possible to have a significant increase in quota for Norway and so Norway will work toward a model which will lead to 60% of the original stock after catch. The scientific committee of the IWC thinks that this is scientifically acceptable but that the problem is the political part of the IWC. Kare Bryn says "We have made it quite clear that we won't accept a tuning level of 72%." -------------------------------------------------------------- LOFOTPOSTEN 20.11.95 POLITICS AND STATISTICS ON THE WHALERS AGM As usual the annual meeting of the whalers will be more about politics and statistics than about biology. And also a debate about the export ban. The freshest estimations about the minke whales, shows there are about 70.000 minke whales in the NE Atlantic. A normal hunt of three per cent would mean a quota of 2100 animals. -------------------------------------------------------------- NTB 3 December 1994. WANTS TO CATCH 1800 WHALES In Bodoe (NTB-Erik Veigaard) Norwegian small type whaling Association (NSTWA) demands at its annual meeting Friday that the quotas of whales must become as high as they were in the eighties. Then 1800 whales were caught every year. ... 1800 ANIMALS In the down wind, or more a reduced headwind, that the whalers now are sailing in, the NSTWA thinks that it is time to be more offensive. Therefore the annual meeting decided Friday to demand higher quotas, an earlier start to the whaling season and a lift of the export ban on whale products. Before the protection organisations started to criticise the whaling, and made it a disputed issue in the 1980's, the Norwegian small-type whalers caught about 1800 animals a year. Therefore the meeting thinks that the authorities should increase the quota gradually (this year the quota was 301 animals, including the scientific hunt) until it reaches the same level as it was before. "There is no doubt that the stock of 87000 animals can take that," says Bastesen, and gets approval from several scientists. -------------------------------------------------------------- WHALES AND PROFITS "Everybody agrees that when the export ban is lifted, the ones who are allowed to catch whales will be sitting on a gold mine." "A demand of higher quotas is meaningless if we won't be allowed to export because it is not possible to sell much more here in Norway." LOFOTPOSTEN 10.5.96 FORGET ABOUT THE WHALING WITHOUT EXPORT POSSIBILITIES The price of whale meat does not mean anything, says Arvid Falch from Sommaroey Production company. "Without export possibilities we can just forget about whaling," says Falch. "The agreed price for whale meat of 26.5 kroners is not the important part when this company decides how much we will buy this season," says Falch. That is a minimum of what the whalers need, he believes. The problem is the export. "We must be very careful. Last year we bought about 20 tons; that was very difficult to sell. It was so difficult that it is no fun continuing. I don't believe that it will become easier this year, as long as the authorities do not open for export. Without possibilities to export, we can just as well forget about the whole whaling," he says. He believes it is very unlikely that the Government will change their minds and allow meat and blubber to be sold to other countries. "They don't have the guts nor the will to do something that can have unknown consequences," he says. "It is scary that the Presidential election in the US decides upon how we live here. The day we get acceptance for whaling, both the hunters and the buyers are on their way. The way it is today they are playing jokes with the industry - we are not doing this for fun," he says angrily. Falch is however happy that this years quota has increased to 425 whales. The quota should have been a lot bigger, but today that is almost impossible, because the internal market in Norway can't take more. -------------------------------------------------------------- LOFOTPOSTEN, 6.5.96 (Editorial) WHALES ARE FOOD We are very happy about this years whaling quota, but will not be fully satisfied till the foreigners are allowed to taste the whale products. Norwegian authorities are working hard on the issue of export. At the moment the most interesting is the relationship Japan-USA. In the Foreign Ministry in Norway they believe that the US has to give a "go ahead" to Japan, before they can give an export license on whale products. And in these people's corridors they whisper quietly so that no journalist can hear. ... Change the style, when thinking about export. We don't say this for selfish reasons. If meat and by-products are not considered as high quality food for the people of this world, the small type whaling will die. -------------------------------------------------------------- VESTERAALENS AVIS 16.04.96 The whaling industry is tortured without export license. The Norwegian Fisheries organisation demands that the ban on export be lifted. "We experience that the industry is tormented. It is simply not allowed to operate on an economically sound level," says Jan Birger Joergensen in Norwegian Fisheries Organisation. ... "For the whaling to become economically interesting, we must be allowed to export blubber and whale meat. That will also give possibilities to raise the quota considerably, which there is basis for biologically," Joergensen says. ... "It is meaningless that goods which are well paid for on the international market, are stored in Norway year after year. If the authorities do not open the export of whale products, I am afraid that the whaling industry will die." The Fisheries Organisation is also asking the authorities to help increase the trade of whalemeat nationally. -------------------------------------------------------------- Fiskeribladet 10.4.96 Demands export of whale products "We are strongly urging Norwegian authorities to immediately open for export of whale products. The ban is unacceptable. The whaling nations in the North East Atlantic must work actively to remove the obstacles for international trade with marine mammals which are not based on international agreements", demands High North Alliance The resolution was decided upon at the annual meeting in Tromsoe and sent to the fisheries minister Jan Henry T. Olsen. Since the whalers got acceptance for commercial whaling from 1993, two demands have remained - removal of the artificial zones and the allowance to export both meat and blubber from whales. ... However in a year of election in the US if Norway opens for export of whale products this is something that the candidates can do something about to get more votes. Export can give the whaling a further commercial aspect and then it will be more difficult to defend the argument that this is about scientific hunting and small scale hunt with coastal boats. The truth depends on who is telling the story, and who is listening. -------------------------------------------------------------- LOFOTPOSTEN 02.01.96 DEMANDS EXPORT LICENCE FOR WHALE BLUBBER - Norwegian Government must open the export of whale blubber within 1996 - Norwegian Government must as soon as possible take the initiative to start an information project that leads to export. In an unanimous decision in Moskenes county strong demands have been directed to the Norwegian Government, and especially to the prime minister and the ministers of fishery and foreign affairs. The county's politicians are convinced that the time has come to take another step in the issue of whaling, and they therefore want the lifting of the export ban of whale blubber. ... The economy in the whale industry is at a minimum. Because of lack of sufficient income from the whaling, several whalers are now considering to withdraw from the hunt. Consequences of that would be that the recruitment fails and that in the future we wouldn't have sufficient whaling vessels to continue the hunt, as we have seen in sealing, say the politicians in their decision. -------------------------------------------------------------- FISKAREN 28. 11 95 Heading: Whalers are furious at export ban The whalers are happy that the quotas probably will be bigger next year, but are very disappointed that they won't be allowed to export whalemeat and blubber in the near future. Norway is afraid of sanctions from the US if they open for export now. The whalers therefore demand that the State buys all the blubber at the price they could get if sold to Japan. "Both the whalers and the meat buyers have all the time protested against the export ban. It is not sale of whale-meat in Norway that brings the big money, but export of blubber to Japan. The Japanese are willing to pay a lot for the blubber. Everybody agrees that when the export ban is lifted, the ones who are allowed to catch whales will be sitting on a gold mine." -------------------------------------------------------------- LOFOTPOSTEN 25.11.95 Heading: Serious disappointment ... Arvid Falch, who runs Sommaroy Produksjonslag at Myre (buying fish and whalemeat), says: "A demand of higher quotas is meaningless if we won't be allowed to export because it is not possible to sell much more here in Norway." -------------------------------------------------------------- NTB 1 December 1994 WHALERS DEMAND HIGHER QUOTAS In Bodoe (NTB-Erik Veigaard). The Norwegian Small Type Whaling Association (NSTWA) will at its annual meeting this weekend demand higher whaling quotas, an earlier start of the whaling and a lift of the export ban on whaling products. The whalers think that the quotas should be raised gradually, until they reach the level of 1800 animals annually within a few years. ... If the whalers succeed in their demand for increased quotas, the lift of the export ban will be even more important. The Norwegian market is not big enough for much more than what is caught today. There is still meat from this years hunt in different stores, but it is expected to be sold before next years season. -------------------------------------------------------------- QUOTAS FOR FIN WHALES "The whalers want to catch fin whales both because it is a resource that should be used and because the stocks are between 10,000 and 15,000 animals in the N.E. Atlantic which is eating their fisheries resources. ... The meat of the fin whale is even better than the minke and so they should be caught." "Fin whales and other big whales should be hunted to control these other species." VESTERAALEN 4.5.96 THE WHALERS WANT TO HUNT FINWHALES AS WELL Jan Kristiansen, vice president in the small Type Whalers Association, says that there is basis for hunting 1700 - 1800 minke whales a year in Norway, in addition Fin whales and other big whales should be hunted to control these other species. -------------------------------------------------------------- Fiskaren 28 November 1995 WHALERS WANT TO CATCH FIN WHALES The annual general meeting of the whaling association wants to restart the catch of fin whales. The catch was ended in the early 70's. The whalers want to catch fin whales both because it is a resource that should be used and because the stocks are between 10,000 and 15,000 animals in the N.E. Atlantic which is eating their fisheries resources. The fin whales are large animals, up to 20 meters long and they represent about as much as the minkes in total biomass. During this year's counting in some periods the whalers saw as many fin whales as minkes. The meat of the fin whale is even better than the minke and so they should be caught. The whalers say that the problem with export must be resolved before they can start a commercial hunt for fin whales. The industry is not able to get rid of the blubber from the minke whaling because there is no market in the country and is not allowed to export. The whalers want the government to immediately start scientific hunting of the fin whales in the N.E. Atlantic to find out if the stock is big enough to start commercial hunting. Lars Walloe says it is not necessary to do any scientific hunting because Iceland has been doing this kind of research. Walloe says that the stock of fin whales is growing but that this kind of hunt should be left for the Icelanders since they have the tradition and have done the studies of these whales. -------------------------------------------------------------- Norway's catch of minke whales 1980 - 95 Year Total 1980 1807 1981 1770 1982 1782 1983 1688 1984 630 1985 634 --------------------- Moratorium comes into effect 1986 379 1987 375 Year Scientific Commercial Total 1988 29 0 29 1989 17 0 17 1990 5 0 5 1991 0 0 0 1992 95 0 95 1993 69 157 226 1994 77 202 279 1995 0 218 218 * The average historical quota since this short of whaling started in the 1930s was of some 2,000 minke whales a year. * In 1996 the quota given to Norwegian whalers is of 425 whales. On the 5th of june they had already caught 135. The total catch today could be close to 250 whales.