Oral question on Norway reopening whale-hunting season despite the worldwide mora­torium on whaling

Indiendatum: mei 2017

Vraag met verzoek om mondeling antwoord
aan de Commissie
Artikel 128 van het Reglement

Anja Hazekamp

Norway has reopened the hunt on whales this year, with an enlarged quotum of 999 minke whales, whilst the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has set a worldwide moratorium since 1986.

1) Which available means has the Commission at its disposal, and which means are already in use, to put pressure on Norway to respect the worldwide moratorium and stop the killing of whales?

NGO’s report that Norway’s exports of whale meat have increased sharply recently (1). According to the Animal Welfare Institute 2948 kg of Norwegian whale products were exported to Japan in October 2016(2), transiting at least three EU ports: Malta, Le Havre and Hamburg.

2) Can the Commission confirm that Norwegian whale meat is transported through EU ports to countries such as Japan, and can the Commission give evidence on which quantities are transported and to which destinations?

3) Is the Commission prepared to prohibit the transport of whale meat through EU ports in order to slow down the trade and discourage the killing of whales?

(1) https://www.prowildlife.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Norway_Frozen_in_time_2016_web.pdf

(2) http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/norways- whaling-comes- under-fire