The Norwegian commercial hunt for minke whales began recently with the total whale quota this season is 74 animals; commercial hunters have permission to kill 38 minkes, while scientists have permission to kill 36. More than 200 scientists from around the world are now in Anchorage, Alaska discussing the world's whale populations for the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

In a few weeks time scientists will present their finding to a committee who will not only decide if subsistence hunting will continue in Alaska but if Japan should be allowed to commercially hunt whales. There are over 10,000 bowhead whales and Alaska harvests 50 to 55 of them annually, the numbers have been increasing about three percent every year. There are also huge concerns that Japan will try and sway the voting commission to stop subsistence hunting, if they can't hunt legally as well. Japan has long resisted pressure to stop scientific whaling and this year plans to hunt 935 minke and for the first time 50 humpbacks which were hunted nearly to extinction until protected by the IWC in 1966.

The scientific committee does not have the power to set quotas or decide who should be whaling, instead they assess the status of the stocks and provide advice to the IWC which officially meets May 28. Japan last year succeeded in gaining a majority of IWC votes, but not the 75 percent needed to resume commercial whaling.

Earlier this year Japan invited IWC members to Tokyo to talk about an end to the moratorium but around 26 anti-whaling countries, including New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Argentina boycotted the meeting. There are rumours that hunting opponents will be protesting at this year’s IWC meeting and extra police officers have been put on duty to deal with large crowds.