Order No. 12 on the protection and hunting of large whales.

This Order sets regulations on the protection of great whales in the Greenlandic territory. By "great whales" the definition is equivalent to minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), Greenland whales (Balaena mysticetus), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and other baleen whales larger than mink whales and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus. Large whales are protected in Greenland's fishing territory. Mink whales, fin whales, Greenland whales and humpback whales are exempt from this prohibition. If the catch of herring beater, fin whale, Greenland whale or humpback occurs and their catch is not fit for human consumption due to disease, the Department of Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture may consider the catch as a killing, although permissible if under previous authorization. It is prohibited to export or import meat and mattak from large whales for commercial purposes, in accordance to the Convention of 3 March 1973 on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES Convention and CITES). Permitted period for hunting herring whisks is between 1 April and 31 December. Only fin whales longer than 15.2 meters and humpback whales may be hunted throughout the calendar year.