Posted by on October 20, 2004 at 23:48:29:
ECOTOURISM NORWEGIAN STYLE: Now from the land that brought us the world’s first land developer (Eric the Red), lutefisk and farmed salmon, comes a new twist on the concept of eco-tourism. ABC News reports Norway has decided to promote seal hunting for foreign visitors with plans to permit tour operators beginning in January to ferry in seal hunters from Britain, Germany and elsewhere. The Norwegian government considers seals a nuisance for the country's fishing industry, and has fixed a quota of 2,100 authorized killings per year - a quota locals have not met. "The idea is not to step up seal hunting, or render the species extinct. All we're doing is allowing foreigners to take part," Norwegian Fisheries Minister Svein Ludvigsen told ABC. "The seals are a real threat to the fishing industry. Their presence in the fjords or along the coast frightens the fish, and often they get caught in fishing nets and destroy them." For more, go to: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200410/s1212177.htm.