Whale Meat in Norway and Japan: What Travellers Should Know

Many people travel north to watch orcas and humpbacks in the fjords, or to Japan’s southern islands to see humpbacks in winter. It is a beautiful reason to travel.

This is not a lecture. It is the information we wish someone had given us before our first trip. To be open with you: Norway and Japan are places I do not promote personally, for this reason. But many of you will still go, and you deserve the full picture.

Who still hunts whales for their meat?

Only three countries hunt whales commercially today: Norway, Japan and Iceland.

In 1986, an international moratorium paused commercial whaling. Norway registered an objection to it, so it sets its own quota. For 2026 that quota is 1,641 minke whales, up from 1,406 in 2025, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation. A Norwegian government minister calls the hunt sustainable and strictly regulated, and says the minke population is in very good condition. Officials say the increase is mostly administrative, because unused quota was carried over. In practice, catches are usually well below the quota: in 2025, ten vessels took part and 429 whales were killed.

Japan left the International Whaling Commission and restarted commercial whaling in 2019. Its Fisheries Agency lists 2026 catch limits of 145 minke, 153 Bryde’s, 56 sei and 58 fin whales, about 412 animals in total. In 2025, reports say Japanese whalers caught 294 minke, Bryde’s and sei whales, less than 80% of the quota, and about 30 fin whales against a quota of 60.

Iceland restarted whaling in June 2026 after a break, with a quota reported at 150 fin whales and 168 minke whales. Conservation groups say the government has also promised a law to end commercial whaling. I could not confirm that on a government page, so please treat it as a claim.

Why tourists matter more than you think

Here is something few travellers ever hear. In Norway, very few people eat whale often. A 2024 survey commissioned by the animal welfare organisation NOAH, as reported by Whale and Dolphin Conservation, found that only about 1% of Norwegians eat it often. An earlier poll in 2021 found 2%, down from 4% in 2019. These are different surveys, so I do not merge them.

So who eats the rest? Conservation groups say whale meat is eaten mainly by older Norwegians and by tourists. That is an advocacy claim, not a measured number, and I did not find survey data on tourists. What I can say is that whale steak, whale burgers and whale carpaccio can appear on tourist menus as a local delicacy you should "try once", like a regional cheese.

Welfare groups argue that this visitor demand helps keep a small market alive. The Norwegian government sees it differently. Both views exist. The honest answer is that the choice at your table is smaller than a hunt, and bigger than it feels.

How to recognise whale meat on a menu

You do not need to speak the language. Two words are enough.

In Norway, look for hval. For example, hvalbiff means whale steak. In Japan, whale is kujira.

If you are not sure, it is completely fine to ask the waiter where the meat comes from. It is a normal question, and a kind restaurant will answer it simply.

The conservation side: what we know and what we do not

Fin whales, the second-largest animals on Earth, are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Japan has added them to its commercial hunt, and a Fisheries Agency official said the plan was not meant to increase the supply of whale meat. Critics worry about the signal anyway. Meat from Iceland’s last hunts has been mostly exported to Japan, where demand is described as falling.

There is also a long debate about whether the hunts are humane and sustainable. Governments say yes. Welfare groups point to data showing that, even where many deaths are recorded as instant, a significant minority are not. I am not a scientist and I cannot settle that for you. I only want you to see that both views are out in the open.

For us the question is simpler. Whales are slow-growing animals that people cross the world to watch. It feels coherent to enjoy them at sea, not on a plate.

What to enjoy instead

The good news: you will eat very well without it. Norway has wonderful fish soup, winter cod called skrei, cinnamon buns and brown cheese. Okinawa has Okinawa soba, goya champuru and taco rice.

You can end your trip full and happy without ordering anything that once sang in the ocean. For more food ideas, see our guide to food ethics for ocean travellers.

A gentle way to travel

We do not believe in shaming anyone who tried whale without knowing. We believe in knowing before you go, and in choosing restaurants and operators that do not serve it. For whale watching partners, we treat “no whale meat served or promoted” as a basic condition.

On a cold boat day, small things help you stay focused on the whales and not the weather. A reusable bottle and packing cubes from our travel kit list keep things tidy, and a mineral sunscreen from our storefront helps on bright water and snow glare. And if you are still deciding where to meet whales, our Ocean Match can help you find a trip that fits you. Wildlife encounters are unpredictable. Whale watching should always follow local regulations and experienced professional guidance.

If this made you curious about seeing whales in a place with clear rules, you can explore our retreats. Our piece on orcas in Norway is a good companion read.

Questions people ask

Wildlife encounters are never guaranteed and never forced. Ocean Calling works only with vetted, ethical local operators, and every animal is free to approach, or not, entirely on its own terms.