Norway raises hunting quota to 1,286 whales

The government of Norway announced on April 1st, perhaps hoping the unseemly news would be lost amid the fictitious headlines of the day, that the country’s whale hunting quota would be raised to the highest level in 25 years: 1286 whales can be killed this season. The announcement has some animal protection groups scratching their heads, namely because the demand for whale meat in Norway has plummeted in recent years, so much so, in fact, that it is less expensive than beef. Still, the raised quota represents an increase of 45 percent over last year’s, even overtaking Japan’s lofty whale hunting allowance. According to a report from EcoAgência, folks from the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), aren’t quite sure why Norway would increase their self-imposed whale hunting quota to 1286 this year when last year’s quota of 885 whales wasn’t even close to being met by Norwegian hunters. …

Norway Raises Hunting Quota to 1,286 Whales