Whale Meat and Whale Oil

Whale meat and whale oil are significant foods for the Inuit people of Alaska. The Inuits have hunted whales for hundreds of years, and whale meat may account for up to 60 percent of the Inuit diet. Whale hunting, with its attendant ceremonies, helps to perpetuate the culture and ethnic identity of Inuits, who are permitted by the International Whaling Commission to harvest a limited number of bowheads annually. Still, the practice is controversial and is under fire from those interested in whale conservation. Japanese whale meat consumption continues to be internationally controversial.