Iceland and Norway have exported their first shipment of whale meat to Japan, officials said, on June 2. “This trade will be mutually beneficial for the three main whaling countries. It will serve to strengthen our relations,” Kristjan Loftsson, managing director of Icelandic whaling company Hvalur, said.
Iceland’s government in May set a commercial quota of 40 minke whales, while Norway has a quota of 1,052 minke whales for the ongoing whaling season. Published reports in Iceland suggested the shipment to Japan totalled 60 tonnes of fin whale meat caught in 2006, and an undisclosed amount of minke whale meat caught by Norwegian whalers.