Shooting at seals in the open sea may not be everyone's idea of a great holiday, but Norway's budding tourist industry bets that foreign visitors may just acquire the taste, despite criticism of "barbarism".
Norway has decided to permit tour operators to ferry in seal hunters from Britain, Germany and elsewhere,
starting in January.
"The idea is not to step up seal hunting, or render the species extinct. All we're doing is allowing foreigners to take part," Norwegian Fisheries Minister Svein Ludvigsen said.
Norway considers seals a nuisance for the country's fishing industry, and has fixed a quota of 2100 authorised killings per year, a quota which local hunters have not been able to meet. The killing sprees will only be open to bona fide hunters, who have to follow strict rules within the framework set by specialised tour operators.
