Minke whalers have supplied local demand for whale meat in Iceland this summer with a catch of 29 minkes since April 30. They report that whaling has been successful this season. The season lasts until October 30 and the total quota is for 216 minkes.
Whale watching. Copyright: Icelandic Photo Agency.
The minke whaling boats Hrafneyður KÓ and Hafsteinn SK have been used for whaling this summer. Most of the minkes were caught in Faxaflói and Breiðafjörður off the coast of West Iceland, but also in the south, Morgunblaðið reports.
Gunnar Bergmann Jónsson, managing director of Hrafneyður ehf., said minke whale meat is popular for grilling and so whaling mostly takes place around the BBQ season, which has already peaked.
Therefore whaling will now slow down, Gunnar explained, adding that the weather is also a factor.
Hrafneyður KÓ has not been out since early August, both due to poor weather conditions and decreasing demand, but is heading back out to sea this week.
Minkes are seven to 11 meters long and weigh between five and ten tons. The whales that have been caught this summer range between 600 kilos and eight tons in weight.
In spite of a quota being issued, no fin whales will be caught in Iceland this year.
Click here to read more about commercial whaling in Iceland.
ESA
