Feature story - 7 May, 2002
Research reveals that whale blubber stored in Norway awaiting export to Japan is unfit for human consumption. The samples of whale blubber studied by independent scientists in Germany are contaminated with various halogenated-organic contaminants such as PCBs, DDT and brominated flame retardants.
Ellingsen factory, biggest whale meat and blubber storage in Norway.
Japan and Norway have been discussing a resumption in whale
trade following Norway's decision in January 2001 to lift its ban
on whale exports. The decision was made despite the fact that this
is in contradiction to the ban imposed by the Convention on the
International Trade in Endangered Species on the trade of whale
products.
The Fisheries Agency of Japan applied to the Trade Ministry for
permission to import whale meat from Norway, but as yet no
shipments have been made. Norway's decision to begin exporting
whale meat and blubber to Japan has been fuelled by the desire of
the Norwegian whalers to profit from the high prices paid for whale
products on the luxury food market in Japan.
Thilo Maack, Greenpeace oceans campaigner, says it would be
irresponsible of the Norwegian government to export whale blubber
to Japan and irresponsible of the Japanese government to sell it
for eating. "It is unfit for human consumption and should be
disposed of safely. If someone ate a piece of whale blubber the
size of my thumb, they would be dosing themselves many times over
the advisory limits of some of the most toxic compounds known to
humans."
Norwegian traders have stockpiled 1000 metric tonnes of whale
blubber in cold storage waiting for export. Last year, the Japanese
government had to put two hundred metric tonnes of unsold whale
meat and blubber in storage due to the declining market for whale
products in Japan.
The report confirms the fears of environmentalists and Japanese
consumer groups that whale products are unfit for eating.
The presence of such toxic chemicals in whale blubber shows the
extent to which our oceans are contaminated and underlines how
vital it is that whales are protected from hunting and that the
current international ban on trade remains intact. The status of
the minke whales hunted by Norway is uncertain and these results
show that whales are vulnerable to not only commercial whaling
activities but also to wider environmental threats.
Download the complete report Evaluation
of Contaminants in Meat and Blubber of Minke Whales