Having secured an opt-out clause during negotiations on the moratorium, the Scandinavian country is the target of regular criticism voiced by animal rights groups and by some governments, including those of Britain and the United States.

The Norwegian government has claimed that hunting the minke whale, Norwegian whalers' preferred target, poses no threat to the species as minkes are estimated to number about 100,000 in the North Atlantic.

Norway's decision to raise the quota this year came despite whalers failing to meet the previous two season's targets, largely due to poor weather conditions.

The 30 whaling ships that participated in last year's hunt only culled 639 minke whales out of a quota of 796.

Iceland and Japan also allow limited whale hunting, but officially for scientific reasons only.

Related Links
International Whaling Commission