VZCZCXRO5361
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHNY #0438 1940709
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130709Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY OSLO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7624
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 1078
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1646
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0403
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS OSLO 000438 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/OA, COMMERCE FOR NMFS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EFIS KSCA PREL IWC ETRD NO
SUBJECT: NORWAY TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS WHALE HUNT 
 
 ¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  Norway's fishing and whaling industry 
announced that the 2009 whale hunt would be temporarily 
suspended due to cash flow concerns and the summer holiday. 
The hunt will be resumed after a short break.  Norwegian 
whalers and the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs 
also criticized a recent World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report, 
presented at the 2009 International Whaling Commission, which 
claims that the industry is not economically viable and 
dependent on government subsidies.  Between 300 - 400 Minke 
whales have been caught so far this season, out of a quota of 
¶835.   END SUMMARY 
 
-------------------- 
Whale Hunt Suspended 
-------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Norges Raafisklag (The Norwegian Fisherman's Sales 
Organization) released a statement June 23 that the 2009 
whale hunt was suspended due to lack of demand for whale 
meat.  The statement stipulated that hunts to fill existing 
orders of whale meat approved by Norges Raafisklag would go 
forward, however no new orders would be accepted.  Norges 
Raafisklag is responsible for arranging and organizing the 
sales of approximately 80% of whales hunted in Norwegian 
waters.  They also guarantee a minimum price for whale meat. 
Norges Raafisklag whaling coordinator Per Rolandsen told 
EconLES July 2 that whaling was halted due to short-term 
constraints facing domestic producers.  Firstly, most of the 
producers' budgets are tied up with existing fish catches, 
and the current financial crisis has hampered their ability 
to come up with enough cash to pay whalers.  Secondly, 
processing plants lack the manpower to process whale meat as 
July is Norway's vacation month.  Rolandsen reported that the 
shut-down would be temporary, and noted that consumer demand 
for whale meat remains steady. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
WWF calls Norwegian whaling "economically unsustainable" 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶3.  (U)  Norges Raafisklag's decision to halt the whale hunt 
came a day after the release of WWF's "Sink or Swim, The 
Economics of Whaling."  The report contends that the 
Norwegian whaling industry is not economically viable and has 
been strongly subsidized by the GON since 1993.  WWF marine 
environment advisor Nina Jensen told PolOff July 1 that the 
report upset members of the High North Alliance and the Small 
Whalers Association, two organizations that protect the 
rights of Norwegian whalers and fishermen.  The organizations 
asserted that they do not receive significant subsidies from 
the GON, and that demand for whale meat remains high. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
Ministry of Fisheries dispute WWF report and comment on IWC 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶4.  (U)  Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs 
Advisor Ole-David Stenseth, told PolOff July 2 that contrary 
to WWF's report no subsidies were provided to Norwegian 
whalers.  He said funds go only for ship inspections, a 
research fund, and a DNA register of minke whale captures. 
He estimated that 300 to 400 whales have been captured so far 
this year.  He repeated the High North Alliance and Small 
Whaler Association claim that Norwegian demand for whale meat 
remains high, adding that there is not enough meat available 
to meet demand.  He said the whale industry is economically 
stable in Norway because of the inherent quality and taste of 
the meat in addition to the historical links to whale 
hunting.  He also remarked that whale meat purchases have 
increased and said he expected trade with Japan to create 
further demand. Stenseth concluded by noting that Norway had 
no plans to leave the IWC, but that the IWC remains polarized 
between those who seek to end whaling outright and those who 
want to hunt with sustainability in mind.  He mentioned that 
if the IWC were to fail, Norway would work through the North 
Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission. 
JOHNSON