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The WDCS investigation revealed Greenland is serving whale meat to tourists.
WILTSHIRE, UK -- The real reasons behind Denmark's pleas to increase the number of whales it needs to kill for native Greenlandic peoples have been exposed by Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS).
Despite a ban on commercial whaling, the WDCS undercover investigation has revealed that Greenland (a Danish overseas territory) has been actively undermining the International Whaling Commission (IWC) ban on commercial whaling by selling whale meat, from whales it is allowed to kill solely for the nutritional needs of local aboriginal people, to tourists visiting the country.
WDCS investigators visiting Greenland documented restaurants and hotels deliberately targeting tourists by placing bowhead and other whale meat on their menus. The investigations also revealed supermarkets openly selling endangered fin whale and other whale meats, all freely available for visitors to the country to buy.
These revelations come on the eve of the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (the international body that regulates whaling) in Panama in July, where Denmark is set to ask that it be allowed to kill more whales in future years to meet the nutritional subsistence needs of the native population in Greenland.
However, the IWC requires that subsistence whaling should be for the 'purposes of local aboriginal consumption', not for the type of commercial sale that the investigation by WDCS has revealed.
At this year's IWC meeting , Denmark will argue that they want to take almost double the number of endangered fin whales (10 to 19) and increase the number of humpbacks they kill without a review for at least six years.
"The Danish government's claims that Greenland needs to kill more whales for nutritional and cultural needs is laughable", says WDCS CEO, Chris Butler-Stroud.
Denmark regularly claims that Greenland requires '670 tons' of whales meat to meet the 'needs' of its aboriginal peoples, yet this meat is clearly not needed by local people as it is being sold to tourists. Indeed, government-owned whale meat distribution companies have previously reported that it has been impossible to sell large amounts of the meat to the home market.
Butler-Stroud continues: "Who is this meat really for? Our investigation report shows that this demand for more whale meat is clearly driven by the commercial consumer market not by aboriginal needs. Greenland's native-born population has increased by around just 9.9% in the last 24 years and yet, the request for more large whales by Greenland in the same period has increased by 89%!" "Even the number of licensed subsistence hunters in Greenland has declined between 1993 and 2010 by a massive 49%."
There clearly isn't the level of subsistence 'need' in Greenland that both Greenland and the Danish government are trying make a case for.
"We believe that this, together with the findings of the WDCS investigation should result in any request for the killing of even higher numbers of whales by Greenland being rejected and the situation thoroughly reviewed by the IWC.
In addition to this investigation, WDCS partner, AWI (Animal Welfare Institute) completed a follow-on survey in June 2012, via telephone and email, of all restaurants for which contact information (phone/email) was available. The survey revealed that whale meat, including fin, bowhead and minke whale, was available to tourists at 24 out of 31 (77.4%) restaurants visited, contacted, and/or researched online in Greenland in 2011/2012.
WDCS is also warning any tourists that bringing whale meat bought in supermarkets in Greenland back into UK, EU or US is illegal and could result in a prison sentence.
Earlier in 2011, WDCS and AWI revealed Iceland was also openly selling whale meat packaged for export in the departure area at Keflavik airport to travellers who, if they made the purchase, risked arrest for importing an internationally protected species.
Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of UnderwaterTimes.com, its staff or its advertisers.
Reader Comments
5 people have commented so far.what a surprise-good old greed once again rearing its disgustingly head. ...and where are the authorities-studying the menu's????or are they too getting paid to look the other way while these magnificent gentle giants and some not so giant mammals face extinction and horrible agonizing death for feeding the tourist trade with unique foods and exotic flavors. How pathetic this is continuing under obscure program names-for science, for aboriginal...what crap. And we sit here once again and write e-mails and they get mascaraed....please world wake up and end this horrible slaughter.Please speak for them-and raise your voices loud!!!!!!
comment# 1 - sharon Kovesdy · new york, usa · Jun 26, 2012 @ 9:39pm
Why are the killing of whales be allowed anywhere in the world anymore, especially whales that are on the Endangered Species list? There are other meats that can be used to replace whale meat until their numbers can be brought back to where they can be removed from the list. It's understandable to allow the aboriginal people of their individual countries collect whale meat for their families. But to be able to find 75% of all restaurants and supermarkets in these countries selling whale meat to anyone who puts down the cash for it is ridiculous and just proves that this practice is being abused. The only people who should even be allowed to collect and consume whale meat is the countries aboriginal people, not fisheries and other people. Human Beings are the only species on Earth that can make a species disappear either from overkilling, taking over lands that were previously used by certain species of animals, or by man-made pollution. We only have one Earth and to abuse it in this manner is stupid and typical of Man at his finest! If we don't demand to put a stop to this kind of harvesting, our children's children will have to face ecological problems that we right now only imagine! This needs to be better regulated by countries that realize the damage this causes our planet and heavy fines given to people and countries that refuse to abide by these rules. I DO happen to care about my future offspring .... and so should everyone else! What's wrong with people today? BNETTER
comment# 2 - Bill Netter · Clawson, Michigan USA · Jun 26, 2012 @ 10:23pm
I JUST WISH THAT EVERYONE IN THE WHOLE WORLD WOULD LEAVE THE OCEAN ALONE FOR ATLEAST 10 TO 20 YEARS AND LET IT TRY AND COME BACK WE ARE KILLING OUR OCEANS AND BY THAT WE ARE KILLING US AND ARE GREAT GRANDKIDS. AND ARE RIVERS TOO I SAY IF YOU CAN'T CATCH IT THEN YOU DON'T NEED TO EAT IT STOP CATCHING IT AND SELLING IT. JUST STOP PUTTING IT IN ARE STORES. IF YOU COULD ONLY SEE WHAT EACH STORE THROW'S AWAY EVERY DAY JUST ONE STORE OF SEAFOOD. THAN ADD THAT BY HOW MANY STORE'S IN THIS WHOLD WORLD. AND THAT IS JUST THE STORE'S WE NEED TO STOP AND THINK WHAT WE ARE DOING TO EVERY THING THAT BLEEDS THAT WE EAT THINKS TOO. AND IF THEY THINK THEY MUST FEEL TOO. WHALES DO THINK AND HAVE FEELING AND THEY LOVE TOO. DO THE RIGHT THING AND STOP KILLING OR OCEANS AND RIVERS..... PLEASE
comment# 3 - Linda · Sandy . UNITED STATES · Jun 27, 2012 @ 7:54am
Native American here whale is not that good tasting
comment# 4 - george · usa · Jun 27, 2012 @ 8:24pm
Sad and despicable! We will have nothing left in this world if we keep abusing it the way we do. Big business, aquaculture, agribusiness and special interests are ruining the world, not just one country or nation, but the world. Greed and complete disregard for the future has won. Sustainable practices are undermined at every turn and humans exponential growth is overloading nature. We are a parasite on this planet killing everything in our path. It is a disgrace, what happened to stewardship, maintaining places and species for the future? It is so sad what we have become...no life is sacred save our own.
comment# 5 - T Baker · Florida, USA · Jun 30, 2012 @ 6:38pm