Amid the indifference of institutions, whale killing continues in Norway and trade in whale products is intensifying.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himLa Norway and the leading nation in whaling and in the trade of products made from whales.
In the past two years, more whales have been killed in Norway than in Japan and Iceland in total indifference of governments and international organizations.
The country is even intensifying trade in whale products including natural supplements and cosmetics.
Norway is the leading whaling country
In the last two years more whales have been killed in Norway than in Japan and Iceland combined. This is what emerges from the Frozen in Time: How Modern Norway Clings to Its Whaling Past report, developed by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) together with OceanCare and Pro-Wildlife.
The report emphasizes how Norway is doing undermining the ban on whaling of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and how trade in whale products is intensifying.
The Norwegian government is in fact funding a series of projects to promote sales national and international - especially directed towards Japan - of products made from whales including food supplements, medicines and cosmetics. In 2015, the Myklebust Hvalprodukter company announced the launch of a series of new products derived from whale oil, including a skin cream.
“We were amazed that a Norwegian whaling company is selling health and beauty products made with whale oil,” said Susan Millward, executive director of AWI.
“This is not the 1800s. It is incomprehensible that such a modern nation produces skin creams from an inherently cruel industry. "
Whaling in Norway continues in general indifference
In other countries such as Japan and Iceland, whaling has been heavily criticized: diplomatic pressure has been exerted and international legal action has been taken against their hunting programs.
La Norway it was instead spared the attention and judgments of the international community and continues undisturbed to hunt these mammals and to market products made from them.
“In one of the most modern and prosperous countries in the world like Norway, whaling is anachronistic,” said ProWildlife biologist Dr Sandra Altherr.
"The IWC has not formally commented on whaling in Norway since 2001 and the international community has not presented any initiatives in Norway since 2006," said Sigrid Lüber, president of OceanCare. "As long as this is the case, Norway will continue to do their business, leaving Iceland and Japan to do so"
The Frozen in Time report concludes by recommending concrete actions which should be carried out by the IWC and its Member States, to force Norway to stop whaling and the trade in meat and other products obtained from whales.
Read also:
- Japan resumes whaling: an endless slaughter
- Whaling: the massacre begins again in Iceland (VIDEO)
Tatiana Maselli
