GREENPEACE CALLS ON NORWAY TO RESPECT INTERNATIONAL WHALING AGREEMENT

Amsterdam, 2 May 1997

Greenpeace today strongly criticised the Norwegian Government for continuing to ignore the international ban on hunting for Minke whales.

Norwegian whalers set sail today, the first day of the hunting season, with a Norwegian Government target of 580 whales - the largest in a decade. This flouts the International Whaling Commission's ban on commercial whaling, which Norway rejects.

"The action of the Norwegian Government in promoting this whale hunt ignores the internationally agreed ban on killing Minke whales," said Grenpeace press officer Kalle Hestvedt. "Norway cannot simply choose to accept or reject international agreements as it sees fit."

The Norwegian Government is also proposing to open up commercial trade in Minke whale meat with Japan. At the CITES meeting in Zimbabwe next month Greenpeace will oppose Norway's attempts to persuade governments to lift the ban on international trade in a number of whale species.

The Norwegian Government is increasing the targets for the number of Minke whales they encourage their whalers to kill, but Norway has not used the blubber from whales killed in previous years. Over 500 tonnes of whale blubber are now in one store in Northern Norway.

However a market for illegal whale meat has opened up in Japan. In May last year six tonnes of Norwegian whale meat was seized as it entered Japan.

A Greenpeace delegation which visited Oslo on 30 April called on the Norwegian Government to end its flouting of an international agreement and to end the whale hunt.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kalle Hestvedt in Norway mob: ++47 90 17 48 71

Greenpeace Norway on ++47 22 205 101

Greenpeace press desk, + 31 20 524 9545/7

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