What is whale meat used for?

Whale meat is usually eaten by humans. In the past, it was also used for pet food and as an additive to livestock feed. Whales' blubber once was used primarily for oil.

Whale meat was commonly eaten in Europe during the Middle Ages and in Colonial America. It continues to be used as food by Inuits, Basques, the Chuckchi people of Siberia, the Makah people of the Pacific Northwest and other indigenous coastal peoples who hunt whales as part of their culture. Whale meat is also eaten in Norway, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Japan. The Humane Society International reports that much whale meat is contaminated by mercury and other toxins and may raise risks of cancer, liver damage and immune disorders.