The Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs has set a quota of 1052 animals for the minke whale hunt in 2007.

“The quota is just as large as in 2006. However, there is one crucial difference. In 2007 it will be permitted to catch up to 900 animals in coastal areas, i.e. in the North Sea, along the coast from Stad to Finnmark, in the Barents Sea and around Svalbard. This will be an increase of around 300 animals in these areas compared to the year 2006,” says the Acting Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Dag Terje Andersen. The rest of the quota may be caught in the zone surrounding Jan Mayen.

The model used for setting the quota is conservative. The quota is within an interval that researchers believe provides adequate security with regard to protecting the whale stocks we hunt.

The quota for 2007 is composed of an annual basic quota of 955 with the addition of 97 uncaught animals from the hunts in the years 2004 to 2006.