Whaling in Greenland

Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for your recent letter regarding whaling in Greenland.

Greenland is a self-governing nation under the sovereignty of Denmark. As a coastal, non-industrialized nation, the economy in Greenland is dependent on sustainable use of the marine resources, with commercial fisheries as the main source of income. Sustainable whaling is also important to ensure the meat supply for the domestic market.

Greenland is given aboriginal subsistence quotas for large whales by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). These quotas are based upon the advisory from the IWC-scientific committee. This Committee set for each whale species a highest number of animals which can be taken by the indigenous societies without harm to the stock. The Committee has consistently for each of the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 indicated that a quota of 10 whales would not harm the stock in West Greenland. The stock from which Greenland will be harvesting is not an endangered stock; in fact it has an increase of 9 % per year. Its population is estimated to be more than 10.000 animals with 3.000 animals feeding in Greenlandic waters. The stock winters in the Caribbean Seas and stay in Greenland waters during summer. The greatest threat to the stock is not the hunt, but the increasing numbers killed by ships in areas outside Greenlandic jurisdiction.This ensures that the whaling quotas are sustainable, and will not impede the growth of the stocks of large whales. In June 2010, at the 62^nd Annual Meeting of the IWC in Agadir, Morocco, Greenland was given an annual quota of 178 minke whales, 10 fin whales, 2 bowhead whales and 9 humpback whales for the period 2010-2012 to be taken in West Greenland. Furthermore, Greenland has a quota of 12 minke whales in East Greenland.

Whaling in Greenland is strictly regulated by national legislations. Only professional hunters with approved hunting gear, and whaling vessels can receive a license for hunting of large whales. Also for the humpback whaling, cannons with harpoon grenades are used. The grenades are set to detonate a 45 g explosive penthrite charge 140 cm within the animal. This ensures a rapid and humane death of the whale. The grenade is very costly – 1200 to 1300 English pounds pr. grenade – so money is a necessity, that is - if animal welfare considerations should be taken into account.

Whale meat is a natural product that does not need any anthropogenic produced fertilizers or pesticides, i.e. it is a 100 % environmental-friendly source of “green food”. The subsistence whaling reduces the need for our import of western food; which also helps in reducing the global CO₂ emissions. By a higher level of utilization and local distribution of our own resources, we will also reduce and limit modern life style diseases that are occurring more often in Greenland.

The whale products are distributed within the hunter families, but some of it is also sold on the local open-markets. Furthermore a smaller part of the hunt is processed, according to EU veterinary standards, in one locality in Greenland (Arctic Green Food), in order to cover the needs of those local communities, not having access to their own whaling vessel or those communities having a meat deficit. No whale products are exported out of Greenland. But the income from whaling is limited; nobody becomes a millionaire on Greenlandic whaling. The money is mainly used to maintain the combined whaling and fishing vessels and the hunting equipment. Local sale of whale products are allowed by executive order.

We hope our answer has clarified some of your concerns regarding the Greenlandic whaling. For further information on Greenlandic whaling and its need for whale products, please read:

http://iwcoffice.org/_documents/commission/IWC59docs/59-ASW8rev.pdf

http://iwcoffice.org/_documents/commission/IWC62docs/62-9.pdf

Best regards,

Department for Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture