norwegian use of whales: past, present and future trends - WSPA

Norwegian Use of Whales
Buyers and wholesalers are hit by low demand. Åge Eriksen, owner and manager of
Hopen Fisk AS, one of Norway’s largest purchasers/ buyers of whale, stated to ABC
News in August 2009 that “I think that the entire whale market could disappear.” 56
He has also stated that “overall, we are talking about small volumes and little
money. It is not particularly economical, and it is not profitable to continue.” 57
Another company managed by Åge Eriksen, Hopen Fisk & Sild AS, declared
bankruptcy in 2008, and all of the property and activities were taken over by
Hopen Fisk AS and Eiendommen Hopen AS. 58
Another major buyer, Ellingsen Seafood in Skrova, is scaling down production of
whale meat. In past years Ellingsen has taken up to 30% of whales hunted. In 2005
the company launched several new whale meat products, including the
‘Lofotburger’ (half minke whale and half pork), aiming to market whale to a new
generation of consumers. 59 Subsequently, in March 2008, the Chairman, Ulf
Ellingsen, expressed his fears that the hunt would “slowly but surely dry up”,
stating that “Whale hunting is in a downward spiral” 60 and announcing that it was
considering stopping sales of whale meat, since “profitability is too little and it is
difficult to get hold of employees for the short season. The industry is now at a
crossroads and for us, salmon (farmed) is more important than whale”. 61,62
The Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organisation reported that 10 buyers were
operating in their area in 2008, purchasing quantities of between 5 and 106 tonnes
of whale meat: buyers that previously had purchased about 200 tonnes of whale
meat a year reduced the quantity of their purchases to 100 tonnes or less. 63 The
Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organisation explains that sales were difficult due to
the fact that there were fewer buyers, and reduced purchases; buyers had no
desire to only “purchase for storage”. The 2009 annual report does not give figures
for the number of buyers. In 2010 there were 9 processors of whale meat in
Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organisation’s district. This figure includes both those
that buy and process whale meat and the hunters that process their own catch.
There were 3 processors outside of Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organisation’s
district – 1 in Sunnmøre og Romsdal Fiskesalslag and 2 in Vest-Norges Fiskesalslag. 64
The lack of demand from buyers and wholesalers impacts on whalers, as recognised
by Per Rolandsen of the Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organisation, noting that
“the buyers are fewer than before, and those that are buying, buy less. Therefore
earnings are low because of the difficulty trading the whale meat.” 65
Demand conditions have led to additional steps to even out the supply of whale
meat through the season, and to prevent excess supply. Having noted that the
majority of whale meat was coming in late in the season, and was difficult to sell
off in large quantities, in 2006 and 2008 (but not 2007) they decided to encourage
early-season hunting by offering higher minimum prices in the beginning of the
season. On 31 March 2008, Circular nr. 8/2008 was issued to whale hunters and
registered buyers. It dealt with the regulation of whale hunting for 2008 and
stated that “interest in the purchase of whale and whale products is limited and
can lead to problems with the turnover of caught whales” and that “large catches
are difficult to turn over”.
eftec 35 April 2011