Greenlandic whaling today

Quotas for the original inhabitants
Today Greenland is, via Denmark, a member of the International Whaling Commission, IWC. As the original inhabitants, Greenlanders have the right to a limited amount of whaling as it continues to be an important part of the basis of existence of many citizens. The commission determines quotas for the large whales that may be caught in Greenland; fin- and minke whales. Also caught in Greenland are narwhals, beluga whales and porpoises.



	Narwhal hunters in North Greenland

Blue whales, humpback whales, bowhead whales and sperm whales are all fully protected species and are not caught in Greenland.

Whaling is a natural resource
For the local Greenlandic population, whaling remains important. Although the meat is no longer shared out free of charge as was traditionally the case, many families in the more remote areas of Greenland are still dependent on whaling today.

Whale meat has previously been the Greenlanders’ salvation in times of need: for example, in the 1920s when West Greenland was on the brink of famine due to a dramatic fall in the number of seals caught. As a result, the Danish government deployed the whaling ship M/S Sonja, which caught whales to feed the population. All the meat was given to the local population and Greenland thus managed to avoid the famine that had been threatening the region.