whale meat

If you have your tongue set on eating some whale meat tonight, you may consider heading off to Ulsan. There has been a sharp increase in the number of local restaurants in this major city over the past year, they now tally over 100, the city government reported this past Sunday.

The number of restaurants has climbed nearly four hundred percent since last year, and the it is the city with the most since the International Whaling commission placed a worldwide halt on commercial whaling back in 1986.

The officials of the city have said that minke whale is the hottest item on the menu. However, hunting whales for commercial purposes is outlawed around the globe, that is of course unless they are caught “accidentally” in fishermens’ nets.

Korea specifically is one of the countries in the world which is the most strict when it comes to the enforcement of the laws which protect endangered species.

Nonetheless, a lot of “accidents” occur, and whale meat continues to be a traditional local delicacy in the city. These whales will sell for anywhere from 25 million won ($21,000) and up, when the supplies are low and the demand is high. On the black market, an illegally caught whale will go for somewhere in the 16 million won ($14,000) range.

The illegal trading of these endangered species is the main reason these restaurants can give you those delectable whale dishes on their menus. Many environmental groups are crying foul, and are pushing for more monitoring and higher penalties for illegal hunting of whales.

That being the case, you can expect to see many more “accidental” catches, and many more dishes to come.