Norwegian Minister of Fisheries, Marianne Sivertsen Næss
The Norwegian Minister of Fisheries has announced that the minke whale fishing quota for 2026 will be increased by 235 animals from the previous year, bringing the total to 1.641 minke whales.
The increase in the quota is explained by the fact that unused quota from previous years has been transferred between years, despite the fact that quota utilization has been low in recent years.
In 2025, 10 minke whale fishing vessels participated in the fishery in Norway, and 429 animals were caught out of 1.406 permitted minke whales, which is equivalent to about 30,5% utilization of the catch quota.
A similar trend was observed the previous year. The quota was then increased by 249 animals, but in 2024 only 415 animals were caught out of 1.157 allowed minke whales, or about 35,8% of the allowed catch.
In his justification for continuing whaling, the minister refers, among other things, to the fact that minke whales consume large quantities of fish and thus have an impact on the marine ecosystem. It is also pointed out that whaling contributes to achieving the United Nations' sustainability goals, including by increasing seafood consumption. However, this argument has been controversial and not supported by unanimous conclusions within the international scientific community.
