Conflicting Cultural Values on Marine Mammal Resources: The Case of a Whale Tourism Project in Northern Norway

Abstract

"In the 1980's, non-consumptive use of marine mammals, whales in particular, has been an increasing public interest in the industrial (and especially the Anglo-American) world. Being a widespread but rather uncomplicated matter in a Western cultural context, introduction of these ideas in other countries with a fundamentally different cultural view about nature and natural resources has created conflicts. This contribution examines a case in northern Norway, where foreign organizations and interests have introduced a whale-watching project in conjunction with a whaling museum and a nature sanctuary program. Structure of the tourism project is especially focused on the explicit connection between watching whales and catching whales."