Norway eyes whale blubber exports, prices soar
Date: 14-May-01
Country: NORWAY
Norway, whose whaling season began on May 1, announced in the spring that it would resume exports of whale products which it halted in the mid-1980s.
Until now whale blubber fetched a meagre 0.1 crowns ($0.01) per kilo in Norway and was considered more of a problem than a potential money-maker since no use could be found for it.
But an agreement between Norway's Fishermen's Sales Organisation (NF) and the Federation of Norwegian Fishing Industries on Friday set the price at 57 crowns ($6.22) to reflect the potential market in Japan.
The outer fat of the minke whale is considered a healthy delicacy in Japan where it is eaten raw. Norwegians eat whale meat, but spurn the blubber.
"The price hike comes on the back of the government's decision to lift the export ban," said Ragnhild Molvik, an NF regional director.
She said whale blubber was expected to fetch 150 crowns ($16.38) a kilo in Japan and exports were likely to resume after this year's whaling season ends in July.
Norway resumed commercial whale hunting in 1993 despite a global moratorium by the International Whaling Commission and protests from environmental groups such as Greenpeace.
Its plans to allow the export of whale products, including blubber, ignores a ban under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Norway, which argues that stocks of minke whale are plentiful, has 36 whaling boats which are allowed to harpoon a total of 549 minkes in 2001.
Ulf Ellingsen, the world's largest dealer in minke blubber, said he was "cautiously optimistic" the exports could resume this August for the first time since the mid-1980s.
"We have learned the hard way," added Ellingsen who has 400 tonnes of blubber stored in a giant freezer in Svolvaer, Arctic Norway. "Many times we have shot the champagne cork up to the roof and many times we've had to pluck it down again."
Ellingsen said all blubber stock-piled in Norway was undergoing tests for cancer-causing PCB chemicals after warnings from Japanese consumer groups that concentrations were too high.
"We will have the results shortly, and the worst-case scenario is that a small portion of the blubber is deemed unfit for consumption," Ellingsen said.