NORWAY may be catching too many minke whales each year, because they could be
counting each animal twice when they estimate minke numbers and decide on their
whaling quota, according to a study by Scottish researchers.
The Norwegians—and the International Whaling Commission—estimate
that there are about 112,000 minke whales in the north-east Atlantic. Norway is
allowed to catch 549 animals a year, and they want to raise that quota.
But the real population could be less than half the Norwegian estimate, says
Chris Parsons of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, based on the Isle of
Mull.…
