An undercover investigation by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) has revealed that many restaurants and supermarkets in Greenland are offering whale meat to tourists. The organisation reports that 24 out of 31 restaurants researched, contacted or visited were openly serving whale meat, with options such as whale sushi, burgers and pasta on the menu.
Under rules set by the International Whaling Commission, Greenland is allowed to kill a certain number of the huge mammals each year to meet the needs of its aboriginal communities. However, WDCS said the country is clearly floating the laws by selling the meat in restaurants and supermarkets.
The report comes ahead of the commission’s annual meeting next month, when Denmark is expected to call for a higher whaling quota for Greenland’s indigenous people.
“The Danish government’s claims that Greenland needs to kill more whales for nutritional and cultural needs is laughable,” said Chris Butler-Stroud, WDCS’s chief executive. “Who is this meat really for? Our investigation report shows that this demand for more whale meat is clearly driven by the commercial consumer market, not by aboriginal needs.”